Time After the Tone - A Reboot
by SmallInsect
Summary: It began the way the apocalypse always seemed to these days: with strange phone calls in the dead of night. Phone calls which prove Yugi's friends really will go around the world and back for each other, as Shadow Realm monsters gather in the streets of Europe. [A reboot and partial rewrite of "Time After the Tone" - first posted here in 2007 and still available to read.]
1. Prologue

TIME AFTER THE TONE: REBOOT

* * *

 **Hey.**

 **You're probably surprised to see this, although not as surprised as I am to be here. This is completed, so don't expect it to build up to a crescendo and then just... end unfinished again. There's a lot I didn't like about the original, looking back on it after... what has it been? Ten years? But I also know that it was enjoyed by others as it was. So I've tried to be true to the me of ten years ago writing this. Please be patient with me. I can't promise my tenses will be any more reliable than they were the last time.**

 **Continuity Notes: I wanted to rewrite this story with Dark Side of Dimensions in mind, but there are issues there in that DSoD directly follows the original manga, not the anime, so it was missing several arcs and had a few too many deaths to keep it entirely in line with what I originally wrote. So I guess you should consider this a kind-of-post DSoD Fix-It fic which includes the anime canon? (I mean, let's be real here, nobody knew what they were doing by the time they got to Waking the Dragons anyway. Fortunately, DSoD mostly works within the continuity of the anime.)**

 **This story is now set approximately one year after the end of Dark Side of Dimensions.**

* * *

 **Prologue.**

 **Location: Karuta Boulevard, Domino City, Apartment No 124.**

 **Time: 3:15 a.m.**

* * *

It began the way the apocalypse always seemed to these days: with strange phone calls in the dead of night. And, also as usual, Mai kept her head firmly under the pillow until somebody else answered it.

'Ngh... f'ghit... yeah, what'

To his credit, Joey tried to whisper, but whoever was on the other end of the line was making enough noise to be heard the next apartment over anyway. Mai also thought she could hear... laughter? Yes, that was definitely laughter; the sort of sharp, tinny mirth you heard in rundown Haunted Houses. The kind with plastic skulls and badly made, yet still deeply unsettling, animatronics.

'W-wait what? Man, we've been through this, ya don't have to shout into a phone.'

Oh great. It was probably Yami, then. Mai pushed aside her pillow. At this point, they'd had the phone tree set up for a while, and in spite of Mai telling them it's be a lot easier if they went alphabetically, Wheeler had somehow ended up at the top of the list for "people the Motou's call when all hell is breaking loose".

Which hadn't been a problem for Mai at the time, but now...

'Wait, you're WHERE?! You gotta be kidding!'

Well. Now was now.

'Well how the hell are we supposed to... Urgh, okay never mind we'll figure it out, dude, just send Ryou the coord- Hello? You there? Yami? Aw, crap...'

Great. Definitely Yami. Mai loved them, really she did, but damn them to the Shadow Realm. Maybe then she'd be able to get a decent night's—

'Mai? Hey, Mai, wake up!'

Mai opened her eyes - reluctantly- and turned. Joey was on already the other side of the room, doing his screw-it-I'm-late dance and struggling with various articles of clothing. It was still kind of funny to watch, even if she did see it an average of once per month already.'What time is it?'

'Uh... 'bout three. Ach! Okay, that's not my shoe, like I need heels... Damn it, where are my pants? Mai!'

She sighed. 'M'not responsible for your laundry. Was that phone call from who I think it was?'

'Well it wasn't that creep from the Academy again that's for sure,' Joey snorted. At some point the clothes rack which at least half their stuff was hanging on fell over but Joey didn't seem to care. 'We've got -ach, nope those ain't my socks either- a Yugi situation.'

A scrunched up blink reminded Mai of her failure to remove her mascara last night. 'Which Yugi?'

'Both!'

'Right now?'

'Sure, why not? It's not like the end of the world cares about my beauty sleep!' Joey snorted

Joey was staggering around the dark bedroom in a manner resembling a monkey in his search for clothing. A growing headache was reminding her of last night's (or was it this morning?) drinks that she knew she shouldn't have touched in the first place. 'Great. Whereabouts in Japan are we going this time?'

'Yeeeah 'bout that...' Joey finally rescued his pants from under the clothes rack. 'They're not in Japan. They're in Europe.'

Mai paused. '...What?'

'Europe, somewhere called Austria?' Joey finally realised it would be a good idea to turn on the light, and Mai went blind for a moment.

'...Austria.'

'Yep. At least I think they were both there; the ol' King of Games seemed too busy to come to the phone himself, so Yami… '

Right. They knew how terrible Yami was with phones. In spite of being able to carry out conversations with people telepathically (something Mai would never get used to), he had no indoor voice. And despite having mastered everything modern from Kaiba Corporation's holographic duel disks to motorcycles, learning how to just use a telephone like a normal human being was somehow beyond him. Mai dragged herself into a sitting position with as much reluctance as possible. Damn ducklings getting her involved in their damn world ending problems on a damn monthly basis... 'Okay. Okay, fine. What's the problem this time?'

Joey shrugged. 'Phantoms, possessions, shadows comin' up outta the ground, creepy laughter in the back of your head, that kinda stuff... There might be undead, but Yami says they can't get close enough to be sure without nearly gettin' their limbs ripped off. It sounds bad, Mai.'

It always did. By now Mai was out of bed and scrambling for a skirt which covered enough to be reasonable in a Central European Climate. That place was cold. 'Threat of imminent death?'

'Mmm not as high as the threat of just bein' possessed.'

'Oh, is that all. End of the world?'

'Sounds like it... Maybe just the end of Europe?'

Well, okay. Mai bit back a yawn, vaguely wondering how she had gotten used to this. Just Europe, then. 'So how are we planning on getting there?'

'That's already handled. He called Kaiba first.'

That was another wake up call. Mai whistled. 'Wow, this is bad, isn't it?'

'Still not seeing my shirt.'

'Oh, find it yourself, Wheeler, do I look like your wife?'

Joey looked at her, eyes bright even with nerves on edge. 'Well you would, but you keep saying—'

'Just hurry up and find your damn keys, Joey. And a first aid kit, nobody ever remembers to bring a first aid kit.'

Kaiba didn't like to be kept waiting. Mai scoured the desk for makeup remover, found it, and made a beeline for the bathroom. Joey tripped over something on the floor trying to beat her to it.

In an internationally-extended family like this one, a good night's sleep was totally out of the question anyway.

'…Joey, where did you just throw my shoes?'

* * *

 **Location: Keidoro Boulevard, Apt 16** **, Domino City**

 **Time: 3:21 a.m.**

The phone rang, and Tristan answered before realising that his tongue tasted as if he'd swallowed a whole raccoon that had just climbed out of a garbage can. Or how he imagined that would taste, anyway.

'Maargh... H'lo? S'my Residence, I mean… Tristan speakin'... I… yeah. Me. Who the hell're you?'

 _'Tris? That's you, right?'_

'O'course it's me, Joe… whatimemizzit?'

 _'You're sober, right, man? Tell me you're sober.'_

'Uhh. Well, sober enough that I don't wanna confess my undying love to anyone but nooot so much that things aren't moving funny sooo… yeah, I'll do. What's up?'

 _'Yugi situation.'_

Oh. The raccoon taste went away pretty quickly, replaced with a clawing sensation that implied it had made its way down his oesophagus and was tearing at his stomach instead. Oh gods, not again. 'What? Now?'

 _'Now. And it turns out Mai's ride is busted, so we need a lift to KC HQ.'_

'Um, okay, but I'm probably not sober enough for that.'

Joey swore. _'We really need a hand here, man, are you sure you're over the limit?'_

'Totally. S'late, man, there's been work party…'

 _'Okay, fine, we'll come to you. Where do you keep the keys?'_

'What?'

 _'The keys, Tristan! For your motorcycle! I'll drive.'_

'But... you can't drive a motorcycle. 'Sides there are three of us, right? You can't have three people on one Motorcycle... unless maybe the third person was Yug'... he's so tiny.'

 _'No shit? Look, we have to get to Kaiba Corp in the next hour or he'll fly without us.'_

'Wait, Kaiba? Which one? Big Jerk Kaiba or… little, not-so-jerky-kinda-adorable-Kaiba?'

 _'Uh... Actually I don't know. Probably the second one, the point is we've gotta get there now. And then we have to get to Austria.'_

'Whoa, whoa... hang on, lemme get a glass of water or something, what're you talking about, Joey?'

 _'Turn on the tv, bro! The weird flying people an' the moving buildings on the World News Channel? That's where Yugi an' Yami are right now.'_

Well... Tristan sort of remembered seeing something weird on his television through the haze of too much alcohol and cocktail snacks. He'd figured it was just a horror movie marathon or something. 'That was real?'

 _'Of course it was real, it's on the news! Almost everything on the news is real!'_

'Yeah, but… You're sure they're in—'

 _'Yep.'_

'And you're positive we have to be—'

 _'Uhuh.'_

Tristan blinked. The racoon seemed to be settling down for the long haul. '…Austria?'

 _'Yeah, there. Look, Mai an' me are coming to your place, so for God's sakes be decent.'_

'Uh, sure. Decent,' Tristan glanced around his room. 'Yeah… there are gonna be issues there, man. Maybe better leave the lady outside.'

 _'…Tristan, I'm ashamed of ya.'_

'Oh, bite me, Wheeler.'

 **Click.**

* * *

 **Location: New York City, Carmen Street Apartment Block 3**

 **Time: 1:00 a.m.**

 ** _"You have fifteen new messages."_**

Téa Gardner hadn't been having the best of weeks.

That was to be expected when you were the understudy to a New York Broadway Star during the biggest flu epidemic the city had seen since the 50's, you were having to play three separate background roles for sick people because everyone thought you had nothing to do as an Understudy, as well as trying to remember lines for a performance you'd probably never have to give because, again - Understudy.

So Téa hadn't exactly been in the greatest of moods as she nudged her flat door open and dumped her bags. She took a deep breath before turning to the flashing light on the telephone, sitting on an upturned bottle crate her flatmates had painted blue. Someone had left a sticky note on the receiver.

 _ **YO Téa**_

 _ **Ppl keep calling**_

 _ **idk y**_

 _ **all talking Japanese so probs 4 u**_

 _ **\- Manda xxx**_

...And then there were the messages.

Lots and _lots_ of messages, which usually only happened when a) they hadn't been able to pay a bill and were avoiding the sales agent, b) Yugi or Yami had been in an unusually communicative mood. Or c) her Answering Machine was malfunctioning again.

Tonight it was none of those things.

'Hey, you're reached Carmen Street Apartments, Number Fifteen. Sorry we can't take your call right now but leave a message and provided you're not trying to sell us stuff, we'll be sure to get back to you. Thanks!'

 **Beep.**

 **Click.**

 _'Téa? Yeah, it's me. Um... Sorry about the time difference, I hope you're not asleep. How's America? Wait never mind, after all you can tell me all about the good ol' Big Apple when you get where we're going. Cause… well we're going there and Yugi's in trouble and we're all in a jam 'cause of it, which you probably already know about, if you've seen the news because—'_

Téa blinked at the receiver. She was fairly sure that was Tristan's voice but she had absolutely no idea what he had been trying to say. Still, she was sure she heard the words 'Yugi' and 'trouble' somewhere, and that put her nerves on high alert.

Also, she knew Tristan's had-at-least-three-drinks-recently voice when she heard it.

 **Beep.**

 **Click.**

 _'Wow, that thing does not give you time to talk, huh? Sorry, let's start over. For one thing, when I said it was "me" before, what I meant what that it's Tristan over in Japan. See Yami called Joey an' then Joey called me an' we... both called everyone else. That phone tree was a good idea, by the way. Actually by the time you get this we might be halfway to America to pick you up, so don't be surprised if—'_

 **Beep.**

Wait... pick her up? Téa blinked.

 **Click.**

 _'Uh yeah. Me again. Still Tristan. We're having a problem and it's not just with your answering machine. Yami and Yugi are in trouble and they're halfway round the world in Europe because... well just watch the news, man, you'll see. I know that you probably have a really busy schedule and loads of stuff to do but we figured you'd be pissed if we didn't tell you about all this again, so—'_

 **Beep.**

 **Click.**

 _'Damn it, Téa how am I supposed to deliver an important message if that machine of yours keeps cutting me off in the middle of a—'_

 **Beep.**

 **Click.**

... This was why you didn't get your phone serviced for cheap at the local Quick-Tech-Shop.

 _'Oh for crying out loud, this thing must be—'_

 **Beep.**

 **Click.**

 _'Téa I need to tell—'_

 **Beep.**

 **Click.**

 _'Gah! JFK International! Meet us! End of the world! Yugi's screwed! Probably Yami's fault! Get there—'_

 **Beep.**

 **Click.**

 _'—by five am! Your five! Look for the plane with a stupid Blue Eyes White Dragon painted on the side, you'll know it—'_

 **Beep.**

 **Click.**

 _'An' throw this freaking machine in the garbage while you're at it for cripes—'_

 **Beep.**

 **Click.**

 _'—Sakes!'_

 **Beep.**

 **Whir.**

Silence.

 ** _"There are no new messages."_**

'Oh my god, guys, I leave you alone for six months...'

* * *

 **Location: Domino University Residents Area, Apartment Three.**

 **Time: 3:23 am.**

Bakura briefly thought he's been transported to a tinny cello concert in Germany before realising it was just his phone ringing. In the middle of the night.

Well, it was more like early morning now, but he was still awake, eyes glued to the pages of a history text book that seemed to make less and less sense with each passing minute.

It wasn't... Him. It couldn't be. Bakura had changed that ringtone to something really loud and guttural by Beethoven so he'd know. But he couldn't remember who he had "Pachelbel's Canon in D Major" assigned to in his phone book.

Bakura waited patiently for the ringing to stop. It didn't.

Refusing to answer phones in the middle of the night was a habit he'd never been able to grow out of (probably something to do with the tendency of certain spirits to use them as a channel through his subconscious to whisper evil messages). The first hint of a ring always sent chills down his spine. Phones were bad. No doubt somebody like Kaiba invented them and never thought to include "off" buttons. Which meant Bakura was reduced to taking a deep breath and scrambling for the thing for several seconds. Fortunately whoever was making the call was a patient individual…

Which actually narrowed the list of possible callers down to two.

'Hello?'

Someone answered, and Bakura learned that not only was the call at a ridiculous hour of the night, it was also being put on reverse-charge. Typical.

Apologies followed.

Mm. No. No, s'quite alright, Yugi, really. I… what?'

He heard a word that sounded disturbingly like "Australia," and then another which sounded rather like Yugi was talking about stick insects.

'...Insects? Hang on, Yugi, what?'

Bakura listened, blinking several times to convince himself that what he was hearing had nothing to do with the fact he was half asleep. 'Oh, right, you said poltergeists… bad connection, I'm afraid. Wait, go back to the bit about Austria. What was that about a phantom epidemic?'

'…'

'Oh, I… of course. Well I…'

Bakura was pulling himself out of his chair by now and a flatmate was banging on the walls. Ah well. He could apologise later.

'No, I'll be there... Yes, I know I don't have to be but… It's tomorrow. No, no, it's just a practise exam I really don't have to be there.'

'…'

'Yugi there's no point in arguing with me I… Oh, hello, Yami! How's Europe? As I was saying to Yugi, I am definitely coming out there. We're meeting at Kaiba's place, right? Don't feel guilty, really, there's no need, I mean, I was after Téa in the Phone Tree and she probably hasn't even seen her phone yet, it's two in the morning there, you know. I'm awake and it's entirely my decision. See? Independent thought and everything. The... Other Bakura isn't even in town.

'...'

'No I won't be telling him about this.'

'…'

'I'm very glad to hear you're proud of me, Yami. Oh, and Yami…?'

'…'

'You know, I really would be much better off as a coward. Yes. I'll see you in a few hours, I hope.'

 **Click.**

* * *

 **Location: Kaiba Corporation Central HQ, Domino City**

 **Time: 3:29 am.**

Kaiba Corporation's HQ in downtown Domino was a 24 hour wellspring of activity, and Seto Kaiba was not known for sensible business hours at the best of times. So seeing him storm through reception into one of the private conference rooms at three thirty in the morning wasn't that unusual a sight for the employees present.

What was unusual was the bunch of slightly awkward looking young adults he left in the foyer behind him.

 _'Hi there! This is Yugi Mutou's mobile line! If you need to talk and I'm not here… which I guess I'm not, then you can leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you at the— Grandpa, please be careful with that stack of—!_

 ** _KKKKRRRRKKKK crik…'_**

 **Beep.**

'Listen. Very. Closely. Mutou... Whichever of you gets this. I am not a Receptionist. I have enough of those. So if you have an explanation as to why I arrived at HQ to find a dozen answering machine messages requesting permission to use a long distance aircraft, then... Actually, You know what, you can keep that explanation to yourselves, I don't care. I also don't care for having your idiot of a third rate duellist -the blond, male one to be specific- standing in Kaiba Corp Reception with Mai Valentine, your adopted British expat, and a not even sober college dropout, acting like they can use an international organisation worth literally billions as a Taxi service. At three in the morning.

'I don't care if there are duel monsters running rampant in the streets of Paris or something. Not every end-of-the-world crisis is something we –I have the time or the energy to deal with. I am not in the business of carrying your precious idiots halfway around the globe so that you can deal with another apocalypse. Tell them to get their own transportation next time. Particularly Gardner.'

Beep.

...Well, Kaiba thought, at least Mutou had invested in a better phone provider. The last time Kaiba had to make a call like that he'd had so little recording time that it had taken three separate messages to get his point across. And that was when he was being concise, not when he had to fit in an entire account of Yugi's friends inanity.

Really, he had no idea why he kept getting roped into this.

Kaiba took a deep breath before stepping back out into the main reception hall. He ignored the fact that Wheeler was already smirking because damn if he didn't know the flight crew was already setting up.

'The craft's in the hanger,' Kaiba snapped at the ensemble before him. 'So you had better get the hell in there. And wipe that look off your face, Valentine. I'm not doing this for any of you. It's not like I can duel him if he gets swallowed up by the Shadow Realm on the other side of the planet. Fucking heroics…'

* * *

 **Location: Cairo International Airport**

 **Time: 8:00 p.m.**

Ishizu is not surprised by his dramatics when he picks up the phone. She remembers Joey well from Battle City. He always was… enthusiastic. Even on the brink of death.

'Téa? Téa, is that you? A text or somethin' would be nice! I've been lookin' at this phone for hours, we're halfway to JFK! They're starting to shut down the airlines, and if we don't get you on a plane soon—'

'Ah… my apologies, Joseph.'

'What? Wait, Ishizu? Ishizu Ishtar? Aw, damn it, I thought you were Téa!'

They stood in the middle of a crowd of worried onlookers, most of whom had their eyes glued to the departures and arrival boards and had no interest in the group of Tomb Keepers standing in the middle of the airport. Marik was bouncing on his toes, the way he did when they were children and stood staring at the trapdoors that led to the brightly lit surface world. Odion said and did nothing. He never did unless necessary.

'Sorry to disappoint but I thought it best I called someone and Yugi's line has become rather... unstable in the last few minutes.'

'Right, right, not that I'm not glad to hear from ya, but aren't you in Egypt? How the hell did you know to call?'

'I watch the International News, Joey. It's getting...' she tried to think of a word he's appreciate. '...Crazy out there.'

'Yeah, I've been stuck in flight for a while but I caught the start, what's happenin' now?'

Ishizu suppressed a sigh. 'Well, there are stories of people driving en masse into the Black Sea.'

'There are, huh?'

'As well as leaping from tall buildings and gaining supernatural flight over on the Slovakian border; reports are plastered all over the broadcasts. Also, the incidents are penetrated by multiple storms of what witnesses have described as "black swirling energy" over the horizon. I made the connection to Yugi fairly quickly.'

'Uh… right. Sooooo can you help? You know what's going on here, right?'

'I don't have the foggiest.'

There's a sound of something fairly soft hitting something harder. If Ishizu had to guess, she'd say it was a forehead hitting an aeroplane seat-tray. 'Great. Even the ancient mystic lady is stumped. Now I know we're all screwed.'

'I am far from ancient.'

'No offence... You're going there too aren't you? To Austria?'

Ishizu looked around at the quietly contained panic of the airport. 'In... theory, yes. Unlike you, however, we don't have immediate access to a guaranteed flight. We're doing our best, Joey, but...'

'Yeah. Sorry just... it was hard enough to get Kaiba to agree to pit stop once in New York...'

'New York?'

'Téa's there,' Joey sounded awkward, as if he knew this wasn't a detour any of them had the time to take, but also one they couldn't afford not to. Ishizu found herself wondering what on earth they were hoping to accomplish. 'I mean... we can't go without her, she'd kill us. Besides, Yugi's... they'll need her, yeah? They'll need all of us.'

Glancing at her brothers as they muttered to each other over ancient books on the Shadow Games they hauled out of the tomb, Ishizu couldn't help but understand. 'I see.'

'So... look we get it if you can't actually make it to Vienna, I mean it's a long way from Egypt, and this is...' the words "not your problem" hover on Joey's tongue, and Ishizu hears them even though he doesn't actually speak. 'You know... you don't have'ta come is what I'm saying.'

Ishizu stayed quiet for a moment, deep in thought.

The thing about being a destined wielder of a Millennium item was that certain... senses never truly went away. It wasn't just the news reports that had drawn her and both of her brothers to this airport.

'Joey Wheeler, my brothers and I will be getting on a plane as soon as possible.'

'You sure? I mean, we could use your help...' he sounded a little relieved, although Ishizu only barely understand why. They had always had so much faith in one another, these one-time children with no destiny to bind them, no supernatural force to lend them strength -only the power of a bond that only children could truly grasp. Ishizu was someone else's family. They had never needed her before, Millennium Item or no Millennium Item.

But perhaps, somewhere in this rising chaos, someone did.

'Yes... however I wouldn't count on expecting us.'

'...Huh?'

'I mean that... destiny might have other plans for our location tonight. The Millennium Items...' she reached a hand up to her throat. 'Might have other plans.'

'That stuff again, huh? So what? You're getting some kinda sixth sense thing telling ya where to go?'

'In a way.'

'Aaaand that's not to Austria?'

Ishizu had been present for the Ceremonial Battle. She had felt the tremble crossing the world as Yugi dealt the final blow to the all-but-god who had shared his body and mind. She had seen the great stone doors open to welcome the Pharaoh into his destined -if not entirely just- afterlife. She had not been present when he Returned. But she had known it was happening, all the same. Just as she knew now that destiny would take she and her brothers where they needed to go. She had relied on that destiny before. She hoped she still could.

And that, she thought, may not be the same location as Yugi and the Pharaoh.

'We'll be getting on a plane, Joey,' Ishizu said. Her brothers were looking at her from nearby- understanding; knowing. 'But we might not be going to Vienna. When I can contact you again, I will.'

'Uh, right... okay? Well, here's hoping for all of us,' Joey sounded confused. Ishizu would've thought he figured it out by now. But then, breaking destiny was, from what she could gather, Joey's "thing".

'Stay safe, my friend.'

Click.

She hung up without waiting for a further response and left the phone booth, returning to her brothers who, it seems, had just discovered the delicacy that was airport coffee in her absence.

Ishizu knew it was going to be a long few days. She took a deep breath, accepted the cup of extremely strong tea her elder brother was offering, and waited for the Sign.

* * *

 **Location: Austria, Vienna,**

 **Time: 3:00 a.m.**

Yami's face was dirty when he returned to the hotel room, slamming the door shut behind him and sealing all the locks -physical and magical alike. There was blood, but Yugi couldn't tell where from, or even if any of the blood was Yami's. 'Are you-'

'Fine,' Yami said, in a tone that implied that he was absolutely not fine at all but Ra be damned if he was going to admit it. There was a brush -a sensation of comfort in the back of Yugi's mind that was more reassuring than a spoken word. 'One of them broke a mirror.'

'They... can't get in, right?'

'Quite sure,' Yami sat down beside him. Which was good, because Yugi was about to make him take a seat anyway. 'They don't give me command of dark elements via my name for nothing. I have seals up all over the place but it's hard to tell where they're even coming from. The manager…' he hesitated, and Yugi tensed. 'I'm sorry. I wasn't fast enough.'

His fist clenched tight around the puzzle at his neck and Yugi reached out to touch Yami's shoulder, unsure which of them was providing the most comfort. 'I checked the rooms in the left upper floor while you were gone. I don't know if it's possible to get into any other buildings, and even if people are still there...'

Yami nodded in grim understanding. If people were still there, then they probably weren't people anymore.

'Yugi?'

'…Yeah?'

'You alright?'

'As much as I can be. We're… we'll be okay. All we need is... you know. Even the slightest idea what's going on.' He squeezed Yami's shoulder a little tighter and a part of them both wished they were still the same body. Reassurance seemed easier then; more real. 'I've solved worse puzzles than this, haven't I?'

Yugi realised he was still clutching his phone in a death grip and placed it back on the table, trying to focus on the map of Vienna spread on the table before then -stained at its corners with a substance that was not quite blood. In just a few minutes the phone was going to start ringing again. He knew they would get back to him. One of them. Any of them.

But before that... they had to plan ahead. They couldn't stay here, trapped in the upper floors, and Yugi refused to let their friends come charging in like their own personal cavalry without giving them all a decent chance of actually surviving when they got there. A part of him was still screaming regret, asking why he thought calling them here would ever be a good idea. Even knowing what was happening, and the strength of their bond, it was hard to believe...

'Don't you dare say we shouldn't have called them,' Yami said.

'I wasn't going to.'

'Don't think it either,' Yami said. 'If nobody else, Ryou should be here to help with sealing, and-'

Somewhere outside, a chilling scream burst through an otherwise eerily quiet Austrian evening.

'...It's a long way,' Yugi says, evenly. 'All the way from Japan to Europe. It'll take hours, and that's not including Téa.'

'Ah but they have Kaiba, remember?' Yami's wink would be more reassuring if it wasn't for all the blood and dirt, and the heavy darkness underneath his eyes. 'And he would never be satisfied with economic travel speed. I know for a fact that concord is still illegal and yet...' Yami looked up and gave Yugi another small smile. 'They'll be here, partner.'

Yugi believed him.

He just worried it was going to get the lot of them killed.

* * *

 **Not gonna lie. There's parts of this looking back after all these years that I really hate. I changed a lot of it before reposting it here but... blimey. What was I thinking twelve years ago, I wonder?**

 **You'e probably wondering why this is even here at all, given that the old story was basically dead. I guess it's something that's always hovered in the back of my mind, and after DSoD came out, I was enthused to try and finish it. This story meant something to me, a long time ago... and I know it means something to others because I've literally _received reviews on it_ in the last two years alone hoping for an update. To those people: thank you sincerely for your enthusiasm on something I created so long ago. **

**To everyone else... um... Sorry for the late update? ^_^**


	2. Chapter One: Vienna

**_Chapter One: Vienna_**

* * *

Vienna had been nice, at first.

But then, most of the places Yami and Yugi went _were_ nice before the reason for their arrival showed , Yugi thought, was the advantage _and_ the disadvantage of having someone like Yami, so in tune with the subtle play of light and shadow across the world. On the one hand you always knew where a _really_ big disaster was going to happen _just_ in time to get there before it did and, if not stop it entirely, then at least provide damage control.

On the other, it meant they very rarely went anywhere just for the sake of it. For a restful few days out of their busy schedule of duelling and studying and running a store.

So when they had ended up in the airport at their final destination and Yami spent at least a couple hours just looking around and scratching his head, like someone who had walked into a room and forgotten what he went in there for, Yugi had to admit, he felt a _tiny_ bit hopeful that this would turn out to be a false alarm. It wouldn't. It _never_ was. But there were always a few hours of hope and confusion.

Or in this case, a couple of _days_ of hope and confusion.

So Yugi had left him to it while he tried to figure out transport to a hotel with passable English and a scattering of words in German (Yugi would never be convinced he sounded like anything other than a complete idiot whenever he tried to speak German). Nobody could imagine his relief when they found a hotel with a manager who not only spoke those two languages fluently, but even knew enough _Japanese_ to be able to hold a fairly decent conversation with them and take a room booking to boot.

Her name had been Naomi Viene. She had been nice, kind, soft spoken and almost as tall as Joey. Yugi had liked her.

He didn't want to think about what had happened to her out there.

Yami's confusion did not abate as their first night in the city drew to a close and the jetlag began to kick in. 'It called us _here_ , we both saw the dream.'

'Mhm.'

'There should be _something_ , we didn't come here for nothing, Partner.'

'Well what about time zones? Maybe it just hasn't happened here yet?' It had been the only explanation Yugi could think of. After all, it was still yesterday _here_ , wasn't it? Or... well, maybe it was still _today_ here and Japan was now _tomorrow_ and _oh god this was the reason Yugi hated Horology_.

'...Since when did the Realm of Shadows care about the human concept of time?' Yami asked.

'They don't, but _you_ do,' While they seemed to vary on a case to case basis, Yami's senses _had_ been known to pinpoint an exact _hour_ on occasion. He'd certainly never been more than a couple of days off. Surely there had to be a _bit_ of variance with a kind of magic that transmitted itself via the Shadow Realm into sensitive people's minds? 'Or... I don't know, maybe it isn't _Shadows_ , exactly. Maybe it's... something else.'

'I hope not, I don't think we're equipped for anything else.'

'We aren't usually equipped for the Shadows either, though, and we manage... right?'

And so they did. Every time. There had been the Dragon Cards incident in Paris, and the Shrine Collapse in Kyoto and the Kaiba Corp hacking incident basically _everywhere_ simultaneously. The nightmares and awkward psychic tension that had drawn them both to the south of Europe today seemed almost trivial by comparison.

However much fretting and urgency there had initially been -Yugi hadn't even had time to charge his phone before Yami dragged them out of the Game Shop at a ridiculous hour of the morning- they had arrived to a Vienna bright with spring sunshine, and a Museum of Architecture practically on the doorstep of the hotel. Honestly, not getting distracted hadn't been an option for Yugi from that point on. For the first couple of days... Vienna had been just short of perfect. Honestly, all the place was missing was a sizeable duelling population.

Even the sullen air hanging over them (almost something he could dismiss as jet-lag, it was so faint), hardly seemed to matter. The city had an atmosphere that could keep an artist busy with sketchbooks for the rest of their life while sitting on just one street corner -and they saw more than their fair share of people scribbling away with watercolours and graphite, trying desperately to capture the city on paper while knowing they never _really_ could, no matter how skilled they were or how much they practised.

One of them -a young, fair haired girl with glasses- had actually given up on the city and decided to capture _them_ instead.

 _'Hey, Yami.'_

 _'Hm?'_

 _'Don't move.'_

 _'We have places to check, Yugi...'_

 _'I know, but for now, don't_ move _and don't look around.'_

 _'...Alright, why?'_

 _'Because the girl over there has a sketchbook out and I think you're her model.'_

 _'...I am?'_

 _'Well, she's been looking up from it at you and back for the last ten minutes.'_

 _'...Oh Ra.'_

 _'Ha, don't look so worried! Just... stay still, she'll be embarrassed if she knows you know.'_

 _'I_ should _know, I don't think I gave her permission for this.'_

 _'I know, but be_ nice _, people probably_ pose _if they know she's doing it... like you're doing now.'_

 _'I am not posing!'_

 _'You are absolutely posing, I saw your back straighten up.'_

 _'Well... what do I_ do _then?'_

 _'Nothing, just keep looking at the fountain like you were before. You never care how many cameras are on you when you're duelling, right?'_

 _'...Alright.'_

Permission turned out not to matter, as the girl stopped drawing, snapped an image of her sketch with one of those new fangled phones that had cameras included and edged over to Yugi, at which point, it turned out the model had been _him_.

Yami still had the sketch, signed _Shelb_ y '05, tucked away in his left jacket pocket.

By the time they called home on the evening of the second day, Yugi had nothing more interesting to report to grandpa than that, and Yami making a lot of confused noises at the Sigmund Freud Museum (okay, so that _had_ been funny.)

'We can't have gotten the wrong place...'

Yugi had looked up from the newspapers depressingly small section on local duelling tournaments. 'I'm sure you haven't, Other Me.'

'But then why is it so damn _quiet_?' Yami hissed in frustration. '...Anything in there?'

Yugi flicked the newspaper the right way around and scanned the pages.

'Well... today's an anniversary for some kind of accident?' he suggested.

'An accident?' Yami looked interested.

'Uh, yeah... twenty years , I think?' Yugi struggled to make out the words with his limited grasp of German. 'A small passenger boat called the _Asphodel_ went down outside of Bratislava... It was the middle of the night, and nobody knows exactly what happened. The boat just... sank.' He frowned at the grimy photograph from twenty years ago. 'Wow... Says here fifteen people died, and they never found two of them. That's sad.'

Yami frowned. 'As tragic as it is, Yugi, we are not looking for the ghosts of drowned sailors.'

'Yeah,' Yugi sighed, and folded up the newspaper. 'You're right, We're dealing with the Shadow Realm. Monsters born of darkness, super powered manifestations of evil from another world... that kind of stuff.'

'Right,' Yami said. ' _Realistic_ things.'

Yugi smirked at Yami's definition of realistic, but said nothing. He _was_ right, after all. Whatever was or wasn't happening here, it probably had nothing to do with local ghost stories or urban legends. But the article _did_ make Yugiaware of a pharmacy museum nearby that he felt he could drag Yami over to some time before they left.

By next morning, the sun had gone - replaced by unsuspicious looking grey clouds, hinting at rain. Naomi had seen them off at reception with a frazzled smile and a wink. Two hours later, the first of what Yugi could only describe as _the_ _white shadow people_ , had crawled out of a boathouse by the river. evening, almost everything around them was encased in Shadows.

Yugi wasn't sure he'd ever forgive himself for having been so complacent.

* * *

 **Location** : **New York City, Carmen Street Apartment Block 3,**

 **Time: 2:00 a.m.**

" _Hey there, you've reached Joey Wheeler's Mobile. I'm kinda busy helpin' save the world, kicking duellist ass or maybe I'm just out getting burgers or something, call me back later or leave a message!"_

 **Beep.**

'Joey? It's, Téa! I'm _so_ sorry I missed those calls, I was at the theatre and… and what do you mean Yugi's in _Austria_?! I've seen the news! Several English channels have gone out on the neighbours' satellite TV and the last I checked they were shutting down _flights_. I can't even seem to get through to Yugi's phone, so I have no idea what's happening there and not that he cares about regulations, but I have no _idea_ if Kaiba would even be able to _land_ a plane and—'

 **Beep. Click.**

'Uh, okay that's _just_ as annoying as he made it sound.'

 **Beep.**

'Joey? Me again. In the time since my last message the neighbours have been round. They're saying the... the _Channel Tunnel_ -that's the tunnel connecting England to France, right?- Well it's being inundated with some kind of... misty black and white oil? It sounds a _lot_ like Shadow Realm magic to me. Which means whatever this is; it's spreading, and spreading _fast_ , from the sounds of it. So it's only a matter of time before…

'Look I'm going to try and get to the airport, but I don't think it'll make a difference—'

 **Beep. Click.**

'…God _damn_ it.'

 **Beep.**

'Look, Joey, just… I know you're probably already on your way here, but call me back if you can, okay? I don't know how I'm going to do this, but I can't leave you out there alone in that mess. I _can't_ leave them out there, I don't understand why they didn't… well. Help me out here? _Please_ call back. Or... or otherwise, I'll see you at JFK... hopefully.'

 **Click.**

* * *

 **Location** : **Kaiba Corp HQ, Private Runway**

 **Time: 3:55**

There had been no other crafts on the runway when they arrived at the landing strip, and no crew or workers, unless you counted Kaiba. Speaking of whom...

'So what the hell's _he_ doin' on this plane anyway?'

'Well it's _his_ plane, Joey.'

'Don't start turning snarky on me, 'Ryou. I'm serious. Who asked _him_ to come?'

'I think he invited himself.'

Joey stuffed his hands deeper in his pockets, scowling. 'Huh, okay fine, whatever. I'm just a little surprised he actually _wants_ to get involved with Shadow Magic and freaky soul stealing demons in Australia—'

'Austria, hun,' Mai corrected. 'We're going to _Austria_. _Europe_ , not Oceania. And I hope you all brought earplugs because from what I hear, these high class jets are fast as _hell_. Say Bakura, you're European, aren't you?'

'Ah... Yes, half, but Austria a little far away from where I was born. We're still going to have difficulties with the language... Unless any of us happens to know German?'

'German, huh? Heh. Sprekanze deutschen? Or somethin'…'

'What did Tristan just say?'

'He's being an intellectual drunk, hun,' Mai explained. 'He's also _failing_ because I'm fairly sure that's _not_ how you say "do you speak German?".'

Joey smirked a little. 'Whatever. Look back to the point, man, all of that stuff I can handle. But _not_ Kaiba for ten whole _freaking_ hours without any respite.'

Seto sighed. 'Like mister shy-and-impersonal said, Wheeler. It's _my_ damn plane. If I'm sending you halfway around the world to deal with some ridiculous crisis of supernatural proportions, then I'd _like_ to see exactly what my money is being wasted on. For all I know you're planning a shopping trip to the Big Apple.'

Tristan's eyebrows raised. 'So Yugi's in Austria facing down Gods only knows what evil forces of… _evilness_ , and _you_ think we're gonna take this thing on... what? A day trip to New York?'

Seto stared, conscious of a vague slurring coming from Tristan's general direction. _'D_ _on't_ tell me you're not sober, Taylor.'

'M'kay, I won't tell you.'

Bakura winced. 'Can't we all just agree to disagree for now and move right along?'

'Urgh. For once I agree with Bakura. Now can we tell the pilot to begin take off procedure, or do I have to throw Taylor out on the runway?'

'Aw who're you foolin', Kaiba? Yugi needs _help_ here, not more challenges to pointless duels that we all _know_ he's gonna win anyway.'

'Funny I was under the impression that lending you _transportation,_ without which it would be impossible for you to even _get_ to your precious champion, gave me certain _privileges_. Of course if you're _really_ so adverse to my assistance, mutt, I could always make you pay the fuel-and-loading fees. I suppose you _have_ the twenty million yen necessary to soup up this machine up for a single transpacific crossing? Not including the _return_ flight, of course.'

'…Nggh.'

'Thought not. Now sit down and be quiet. Especially _you_ , Tristan. And don't even _think_ about changing your mind when we're halfway across the continent because I'm sure as _hell_ not detouring to drop you off in... Egypt or something.'

'Fine. So how long's it gonna take, to get to Europe?'

'We're not _going_ to Austria yet. Since she _apparently_ couldn't bring herself to stick around, our first stop is the Kennedy Airport. New York.'

'...I thought he said no _shopping?_ '

'Shut _up_ , Taylor.'

* * *

 **Location: New York City, Back Seat of a Taxi**

 **Time: 3:00 a.m.**

'Okay, look, I appreciate that the lines are busy but I have to know if a Kaiba Corporation Jet has been scheduled to...'

'…'

'Oh of _course_ you have that information! Surely a business like _Kaiba Corp_ doesn't just _drop in at the airport_ without warning whenever they feel like it?!'

'...'

'What do you mean "you've _never heard_ of Kaiba Corporation"?!'

'...'

'Okay, okay, I'm _sorry_ , but I need to get on a plane! The highways are chaotic, and I don't know which roads are still open so I can't tell my driver _which_ ones he can actually _go_ down! I can't even _begin_ to describe the urgency here. They're missing a left smiley eye!'

'…'

'Yes I'm sure it doesn't make any sense to you but... Oh, god I knew I was sleep deprived, this is starting to sound ridiculous, never mind. Now, can you _please_ tell me: do they have information about a flight landing from Domino City Japan with a giant DRAGON painted on the side or not?'

'…'

 _ **Click.**_

'Hey, you can't just hang up on-! Ok then. I _hate_ American help-lines.'

* * *

 **Somewhere over the North Pacific Ocean,**

 **Time: 3:49 am.**

'…Y'know what they should call us?' Joey asked.

For the fifty-eighth time since they boarded the jet and began the climb to ten thousand feet, Seto Kaiba asked himself what the living hell he was doing there.

Valentine yawned. 'I don't know, hun, _what_ should they call us?'

'The Scooby Gang!'

'...The _what_ now?'

'Man and here I was thinkin' you knew about stuff like this, Mai, what with all your international duelling. It's this weird American cartoon, where a bunch of kids solve mysteries a the dog an' the cute chick… She kinda looks like you!'

'...Really.'

'Yeah! Well, _we_ solve mysteries with creepy villains an' bad guys too, right?' he scratched his head. 'Eeexcept in the show the monsters always turn out to be weirdos in disguise -insurance scams and stuff like that- and _ours_ turn out to be the real deal. So by default we are definitely _way_ more cool than the actual Scooby gang'

Tristan looked up (he seemed less intoxicated than earlier and was clearly finding out how bad a hangover felt, even when you _didn't_ lose conscious between initial consumption and the passing out. Served the idiot right). 'Wait, which chick? Y'mean the one with the specs?'

Kaiba considered mentioning the obvious identity of the dog amongst present company but it felt too much like cracking a joke and he couldn't be bothered with the repercussions. As if Kaiba actually making a _joke_ would be some kind of sin against nature.

'No, man, I mean the redhead with the weird taste in fashion!'

'Oh. Like weirder than Yami, or...?'

'I dunno, man, I mean, that cartoon was made in the sixties or something; _all_ fashion was like that back then, 'specially in America.'

'Ohhhh,' Tristan seemed to think Wheeler had just said something uncharacteristically wise. 'So… we in Austria yet?

'We're not _going_ to Austria yet,' Mai sighed.

'Oh… where are we going again?'

It also said something about their situation that Kaiba he been reduced to thinking Mai Valentine might be the most intellectual person he was currently sharing an aircraft with.

'We're going to New York,' Kaiba sighed, painfully. 'Picking up your friend Gardner, _remember_? That is, _if_ she's found it in herself to step out of her ballet pumps for long enough to get to her answering machine.'

Wheeler snorted. 'Heeey. _Not_ cool, Kaiba. Ballet is like, only _one_ of her half a billion dance techniques.'

'And it's cool too, dude, like, I bet _you_ can't do the splits in midair and still land on your feet! Well can you? Because Téa totally can.'

Alright maybe Taylor _wasn't_ entirely sober. 'Will the two of you _shut up_ already? I'm not above throwing you out and if you're lucky I'll give you parachutes first.'

The silence that followed only lasted a few minutes, but that was long enough for Kaiba to start _trying_ to relax, and then regretting the attempt when Wheeler's dumb head appeared through a gap in the chairs.

'So... why are you doin' this, anyways?' Kaiba didn't offer a reply. The mutt wasn't deterred. 'Only I love Téa and all, but _she's_ not the one who could be up to her eyeballs in zombies over in Europe.'

'On a jet like this, the time difference between New York and Austria will be all but negligible anyway,' Kaiba muttered. 'It doesn't make much of a difference if we stop for fifteen minutes in another airport to pick up Yugi's girlfriend.'

To Kaiba's endless surprise, Joey didn't have a smart remark handy. He actually looked kind of... thoughtful. That was probably dangerous. 'That in mind,' he said. 'It's still time, right? Every second counts.'

 _Yes_ , Kaiba thought, _and you're saving at least several hundred of them by being in this plane and not one of those pathetic excuses for transport that Domino City Airport call a jet._ 'Look, Wheeler, if you're _going_ to place so much importance on a ring of permanent ink on your hands then you're going to want all _four_ of you if you're going to be effective.'

Wheeler blinked at him. '...But you don't believe in that stuff.'

'Really.'

Belief wasn't really the thing on Seto's mind at that moment but as a general rule, Wheeler was wrong . Kaiba knew _all about_ belief. He knew it led to stupidity and inanity and, in Yugi's case, multiple near death experiences. He knew it tore you out of the fabric of space-time and made children think they could change the world by playing children's card games.

It led you into the gap between one world and another...

It wasn't that Seto Kaiba didn't believe in such things. He just had the common sense not to put his _faith_ in them.

'Uh… yeah, _really_ ,' Wheeler snorted. 'Like, remember when we were given frickin' _magical duel monsters cards_ from dudes in suits of armour? An' when we had our souls like, _literally_ sucked out of our bodies? When we met actual freakin' _dragons_. And you were _still_ pullin' the ol' "science nerd" thing every time and getting pissy whenever one of us mentioned the "M" word! Also, you're _kinda_ wrong anyway,' Joey added. 'We don't _need_ all four of us.'

Kaiba forgot to make a smart remark, settling instead for a vaguely wry: 'Oh? It works with the _Power of Three_ then, does it?'

'Funny,' Wheeler scowled but didn't react nearly as severely as usual. 'Okay sure, Yugi'd _like_ Téa around, we _all_ would. She's like... glue, yeah?'

'Sticky and annoying?'

Okay _that_ was a joke. Kaiba wasn't sure if he was letting Mokuba rub off on him too much.

'Like _you'd_ ever understand. I mean it'd be cool to have her around but we're talkin' a lot of supernatural evil crap. Yugi wouldn't want her _near_ that, heck I don't want her anywhere near that. Not after all the other times... You ever notice how the creepy, mind possessing freakazoid guys _always_ went for her? When they wasn't goin' for _me_ , anyway. It's like she's a bad guy magnet, or something.'

'S'cuz she's so cute,' Taylor's slightly slurred voice came over the back of the chair. 'Evil dudes're jerks like that. They always go for the cute girls. It's a well known fact.'

Kaiba raised both eyebrows.

Joey sighed. 'Anyway, if Yugi an' Yami were here they'd just tell her to stay out of harm's way. I'm thinking she doesn't deserve to be pulled outta that dream life she somehow gotten the chance to live just to go blowin' up dead guys in the south of Europe.'

'Not that I care, Wheeler, but if that the case, then then _why in the name of common sense did you call her_?'

Joey smirked, his head still squished between the chairs. 'You're kidding right? If one of us didn't tell her _now_ she'd find out _later_ an' then she'd probably kill us!'

Good _lord_ , he was an idiot.

'Still not answering _my_ question, though. Why're _you_ here? You don't _like_ us... I'm not even all that sure you like _Yugi_. So why're you _really_ here? An' don't gimme more of that bullcrap about _watching your investments_. You don't _need_ money. Ya probably sleep in a bed made of diamond plated Duel Monster cards.'

Kaiba frowned. '...Diamond plated Duel Monster Cards?'

'Just answer the question!'

Seto took a deep breath, mentally reciting several of his favourite duel strategies in his head to keep his cool. 'Listen. If it's so _imperative_ you know before your life can continue…' (and possibly end) '…Then the _reason_ I am flying you to New York International Airport -and to hell with flight regulations- is not because Yugi would _want_ her there, but because frankly, Wheeler, you all _need_ her there.'

Joey's squashed face blinked. 'Okaaaay?'

Kaiba took another breath. 'It's bad enough that I'm flying you all into what is probably a massacre,' he said. 'We should at least ensure your numbers are one experienced person higher, lest we all die anyway. Because you need,' he snorted. 'Your _circle_.'

Joey blinked again, slowly and carefully. Just as Kaiba suspected. He'd lost him…

'Sooo wait, are you trying to tell me you actually _do_ believe in that stuff? The whole, you know... "M-word" and magic marker pen stuff?'

…Or perhaps not.

'No, I don't,' Kaiba snapped. 'But Placebo Effect or not, it sure as hell seems to do _something_ for you and while I'm not one for encouraging delusions, your obsession with this ridiculous _friendship_ is possibly the only thing keeping you people _alive_ ,' he settled back in his chair.

'So you believe the four of us together can kick magical butt... but you don't believe in magic?'

'Look, let me make this easier for you, Wheeler. I'm taking you in _my_ plane,' Kaiba continued, very slowly and carefully so that Joey didn't get lost along the way. 'Because I _owe_ Yugi. Understand? After this we're _even..._ Anyway, whatever you have, it does _something_. I can't deny the fact that you're all still _alive_ when you should have been killed ten times over in the last twelve months alone. Magic may be superstitious nonsense, but statistics never lie.'

'Uh… Sure. Whatever, Kaiba.'

Wheeler probably didn't believe him. Or didn't really care, and Kaiba could return that nonchalance a thousand fold.

He decided this would be a good time to retreat to the cockpit and stay there for the rest of the flight, unnerving the pilot. He left his... _passengers_ arguing the merits of ancient American cartoons.

Seto Kaiba didn't believe in a God like deity.

He still prayed now; either for more willpower, or for the immediate removal of all of their voice boxes. Whichever was the fastest.

* * *

 _ **Location: Austria, Vienna,**_

 _ **Time: 5:00 a.m.**_

'Yugi…'

'Hm?'

'Phone line reception is gone.'

'…Oh, well, crap. For a while there I thought it was going to stick around.'

'Exactly what I was thinking. The lines must've been cut. Or maybe the psychic shockwaves from all the possessions running around in the streets is playing havoc with the power. It can't be the electricity; the lights are still on.'

 _And the sun_... Yugi thought. It was late spring in Europe, and the sun _should_ have risen by now. Maybe it was, but was trapped behind a bank of purple cloud. He tapped at his laptop for a moment... nothing.

'Yami? We've also lost the internet too.'

'…Crap.'

'Since we're so good at echoing each other today, I assume you're also thinking that we _really_ have to get out of here?'

'Yes, but the airport is a long way from here. I seem to remember the journey took forty five minutes. If this were a duel—'

'But it's _not_ a Duel, Yami. It's _not_. It's a _Shadow Realm Incident_ without so much as a common-level trap card in sight and we can't shut it down or de-possess all those people just by brandishing a card at them!'

'…'

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean—'

'It's alright. You're right, anyway,' he paused and chuckled. 'I seem to equate _everything_ with duelling, these days, don't I?'

Yugi's lips tweak a little. 'Watch it, _Yami Yugi_ , I think you're developing an obsession complex.'

 _'Developing_?'

The joke was followed by a long silence except for the sound of Yugi drumming on the keys of a dead laptop.

They had to go outside.

It wasn't something they could debate. They _couldn't_ stay here. The things out there knew where he was - they could taste the blood on Yami's shirt and the terror of sweat in the air. They could sense the light bleeding out of Yugi's aura, like a cool breeze in a rainforest. It had drawn them all here, chased them all the way to the hotel from halfway across the city.

'It's only going to get worse out there and I... I don't know what to _do_ about it, Yami. We need our friends. We need _help_ but…'

'But what?' Another pause. The edge of something not quite a hand against his mind, because Yami could always _tell_. Yugi hid his face in his hands. They couldn't _stay_... The doors and shadow traps wouldn't protect them forever. And they certainly wouldn't fix this. 'What is it, Yugi?'

'I'm meant to be… _used_ to this.'

'Used to it?' Yami looked confused, until he inspected what Yugi was thinking, rather than the clumsy words he was using to describe it aloud. Then he nodded in understanding. They tried to speak aloud to each other as often as possible since it tended to creep people out if they relied too much on one another's non-verbal cues to communicate. But still, there were some things Yugi found it a lot easier to _feel_ than to _say._ He had always been like that, Yami supposed. 'I don't think you can ever get _used_ to the Shadow Realm, Yugi.'

'But it still makes my eyes itch. And things _still_ start spinning when I go out in it for too long. And it still makes me want to pass out, throw up and tear my eyes out all at once and I… I don't _understand_. It never _does this_ to the others!'

'I mean...' Yami glanced at the door. Something was scratching at the other side. 'It's certainly doing _something_ to everyone here.'

'But not what it does to _me_ ,' he felt guilty as soon as the words left his lips. After all, he was currently infinitely better off than anybody else in the city of Vienna. 'I'm sorry, I... don't mean to be selfish-' (Yami snorted) '-but this is what? The fifth time something like this has happened to us? And my passing out record is _significantly higher_ than the one for me successfully punching things in the face with light or something.'

'I've never seen you attempt to punch anything in the face with _anything_... And the others aren't _you_ , Yugi.'

Yugi was too concerned with their situation to take offence at the truth, so he just sighed and focused on Yami's hand on his shoulder. A name Duke had given him once sprung to mind against his will. 'Disney's Snow White, huh?'

'That's probably a bit _extreme_.'

'But not by much?'

'Well...'

The streets were back to screaming again, too far away for them to ever have helped whoever it was even if they could've gotten there. They were forced to sit and listen and pray the television came back on so they could find out what the hell the world was trying to do about all this. Probably not nearly as much as they should've been, but then what help can they give, _anyway_? The few people in the world who had enough knowledge of the Shadow Realm to be of use were sitting in this room. Trapped.

'...I think we should've stayed in Egypt,' Yami muttered.

'Yeah... The catacomb zombies _there_ would have been way more preferable to this, now that I think about it.'


	3. Chapter Two - Disagreeable Distance

Chapter Two: Disagreeable Distance

* * *

" _Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the_

 _advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance." -_ Ambrose Bierce

* * *

 **Kaiba Corporation Main Officer Lounge.**

 **Time: 5:30 am.**

' _You've reached Seto Kaiba. I'm occupied at the moment. If you're a business partner contact the Domino City Headquarters receptionist and wait. Otherwise, leave a message.'_

'Occupied my _foot_ , Seto! Where the heck are you? You haven't been home all night! I called and found you weren't in the officer, either. Not that I can't handle things perfectly well here, big brother, but your Secretary is _also_ nowhere to be found and I have theme park business managers from Hong Kong breathing down my neck – _Hong Kong_ , Seto, we don't even _have_ a Kaiba Land there!

'Plus one of the _jets_ is missing and I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and assume _you're on it_. Which means that this is about Austria, right? You're actually giving them a ride, aren't you?

'…Yeah, you are. You must be. Wow. I guess I should've worked that one out sooner. Does this mean you can stop _owing_ Yugi now? Because it's getting a little old...

'Urgh. Never mind. So just make sure you say hi for me? And don't hurt any of Yugi's friends before you get there? And be prepared for the _distinct_ possibility that your _caring_ little brother _might_ just have to follow you out there at some point if he doesn't hear back from you in a sensible amount of time. And _be careful_ around the end of the world stuff, okay? I don't want you getting into trouble again. And... and...

'Well, I guess that's it... Okay. See you later big brother. Call back, okay?'

 **Click.**

Silence. The sound of trainers shuffling on an office floor.

'…Oh, to hell with it.'

 **Dial. Ring.**

'Hey, Marcus? It's Mokuba. Can you get the jet ready?'

'…'

'Yeah, I _know_ that one's gone, get the _other_ one. Or... maybe the helicopter? Wait no, we better stick with the jet, it's safer.'

'…'

'Austria.'

'…'

'Yeah, you heard me right. Austria. Yes, the one which is currently in the middle of a national crisis, what, is there _another_ Austria on the map that I didn't know about? Yes, I'm sure.'

'…'

'Don't patronize me, Marcus, when I say I wanna go to Austria it _means_ I wanna go to Austria, this isn't a _tantrum_ it's a... a firm request. I have no more idea what's going on than you do, and I'm pretty sure Seto is on his way out there right now, so do you _want_ to get there and find out or not?'

'…'

'Great! Um, and while you're at it can I get a sick note emailed? There's supposed to be a physics test today and I guess I'm gonna be skipping it.'

'…?'

'Oh, I dunno, just tell them I've got flu, or something. It's not like anyone _ever_ questions Kaiba Corp, right? Heh. Seeya soon.'

 **Click.**

* * *

 **New York City,** _ **still**_ **in the back of a Taxi**

 **Time: 06:00 a.m.**

 **Click.**

'Joey! Joey, is that you? I'm still on the road, why'd it take you so long to call back?! It's been—'

' _Glad you picked up, Gardner. What took you so long? Afraid it was a reverse call charge?'_

'Wait, who…?'

' _It's me, Téa.'_

'Kaiba?'

' _I don't have to repeat myself. We're in JFK. Where are **you**?'_

'...It is Kaiba. Okay. Um... I think I'm stuck at the end of Belt Parkway? Traffic is sort of crazy.'

 _'Can you see the Airport from where you are?'_

'Yeah it's... right there.'

 _'Good. Then stop sitting on your behind, get out of that car and start_ running _. You'll get here faster.'_

'...Seriously?'

' _Well let me see, I am currently breaking my own personal dogma, missing Mokuba's fifteenth compulsory school test, not to mention several business meetings, breaking more international relations etiquette rules than you can wave a checkbook at and wasting perfectly good money on calling_ you _from outside of a general service area so_ yes _, Téa, I suppose I am SERIOUS!'_

'Okay okay! What about-'

 _'I'll_ pay _the taxi driver, give him this number. Hell, I'm already on one massive money wasting scheme as it is and predictably, it's all Yugi's fault, so let's not make this any more difficult than is already is.'_

'...Okay?'

' _Good. Forget about Customs. Just say you're with Kaiba Corp. Tell them to contact the Japanese Main Kaiba Corp Security phone line 81 9778 6955574 and direct them to Security Clearance level Three-Six-Nine-Two-Five-A.'_

'Oh my god, you have _secret security clearances_ with John F. Kenn—?'

' _Just_ do it _, Gardner. We don't have time to discuss this if we're going to get to Austria before neither of them is left alive to rescue and this whole trip becomes even more of a waste of money than it already is.'_

'…Kaiba...'

' _Don't start_ , _Gardner. Just_ get _there.'_

'Wait, wait! You're going to have to repeat that number, I didn't get half of it.'

'Urgh. 00 _81 978 6955574 . Security Clearance level Three-Six-Nine-Two-Five-A. That should give you the necessary recommendations. Just do_ whatever you can _to get through that flight gateway.'_

'… _Nine-Two-Five-A._ Got it. Okay. I... I'll be at the Airport soon.'

' _Fine.'_

 **Click**.

'Oh, my god,' Téa Gardner made a glance upwards into the sky while scrambling out of the back seat of a cab, much to the confusion of a frustrated driver. 'Yugi, I think my miracle just got here… and would you believe it's in the form of Seto Kaiba?'

* * *

 **Austria, Vienna,**

 **Time: 10:05 p.m.**

'So... Not that I want to embarrass you, but you look _very much_ like death cooled down.'

Yugi sighed. 'Warmed up, Yami. It's "death warmed up".'

'Yes, that too.'

'I'm not the _only_ one. There are a _whole_ lot of people out there with the same lack of resistance. I'll be okay once I get used to the magical assault being raged on my whole freakin' body.'

'Hm. I'll trust you on that for now, but you'd better mention if you start losing your eye-hand-coordination or seeing double.'

'...We shouldn't have called them.'

'What?'

'Our friends. We shouldn't have... We should've left them in Japan where they were _safe_. Or at least safer than they will be here. Now they're going to get dragged into this and it's going to be _my_ fault if they all get Shadow Poisoning.'

'There's no such thing as Shadow Poisoning, Yugi.'

'Well if you can think of a _better_ name for the immense pressure building in my skull right now, Atem, feel free to ment—'

He realised he had spoken the name just a second too late. A flash of light came, sudden and sharp from overhead, before they were plunged into darkness.

'Ow, ow! Damn it!'

'Yami?!'

'Ngh, I'm fine... glass hit my face.'

''I'm sorry, Yami, I… forgot.'

'The name thing,' Yami muttered - Joey's term for it. Worse things than _that_ had happened when Yami's true name was spoken in anger; even worse when it was spoken in hope.

'Yeah. Damn it, I think I knocked out the power.'

'Hm... I can see why they never told me what it was, back in Ancient Egypt. I probably would've instantly destroyed the entire memory world. You alright?'

'Yeah just... just give me a minute. Your name sure packs a punch.'

'Oh, you should see what the _rest_ of me can do.'

The minute passed in silence. The pinprick burning on Yugi's face faded quickly, but the effects of the name dissipated more slowly. Yami's true name - _Atem_ \- left an ache in your teeth when you spoke it aloud. The noise outside faded slightly when the power snapped out, but quickly came back, louder than before - awake with frantic whispers and crackling shrieks.

'Still, we're gonna have to remind them about that when they get here, Yami: _don't say your real name_ , especially not in the presence of electrical items... Damn it, what have we gotten ourselves into? And worse still, what are we getting _them_ into? I hope Téa doesn't try to get here because I don't have any _idea_ how she'd manage it from New—'

' _Yugi_ , you shouldn't think like that. They understand the risks.'

'Do they?'

'Of course. How could you forget what they're willing to do for you? And you for them?'

'Us. But I can't _help_ thinking like that, Yami, it's how things _are_. What about Bakura?'

'What about him?'

'Well I'm not going to start taking the Snow White comparison too seriously; it drives me mad enough when the rest of you do it, but... We're _both_ light oriented, to balance out the two of _you_. Shadow Realm power doesn't _like_ us. If Ryou _does_ come here, he'll be in the same state as me by the time…'

'Yugi, we are talking about _Bakura Ryou_ here. He's been dabbling on occult superstition for years. The boy knows how to use vooduin for goodness sakes.'

'Well I can see how— wait, he can use _what_?'

'Vouduin? Voodoo dolls? You know, those effigies you can use to help or harm somebody? It's a time-honoured practise in—'

'I know what they _are_ , Yami, I just had no idea Bakura used them.'

'Well, he doesn't.' Cough. 'Anymore.'

Yugi's eyes narrowed. '...Spirit?'

Yami coughed. 'Ah, well, there was an... _incident_ , a while back.'

' _What_ incident?'

'Well, you were out of town and Yami-Bakura was... acting up again and uh. Look, I hardy see how this is important right now, partner. The point is that Ryou Bakura is capable of handling more than his fair share of darkness. You're shaking like Gods only knows what, and I'm not exactly enjoying all the excess Shadow magic flying around myself. We can't do this alone.'

'I… guess you're right.'

A not uncomfortable silence followed, considering. Nobody was dead yet, Yugi thought, and that was always a plus, a reason to count your blessings and enjoy the silence, even if that silence happened to be dark, creepy and not really silent at all. You had to take life moment to moment, or else it wasn't bearable. Even if you were curled up on an old sofa in the middle of a hotel room in a foreign country, so far away from home that it hurt.

When the awkward scrape-knock sounded across the room, Yugi was surprisingly tempted to ignore it.

'Yugi.'

'Mm?'

'The door. I heard knocking.'

'…'

There it was again: the sharp, blunt _thud_ against the door, echoing more than it really should have.

'…'

Yugi swallowed. 'Yeah. You're right that's— Okay that's not really _knocking_. It's more like...'

'How things knock when they don't actually _have_ hands?'

The pit in Yugi's stomach was widening. It felt like someone ripping the bottom out of the world.

The lock.

The lock on the door... which opened with a key-card Yugi still had in his pocket... Powered by the hotel's electricity. Electricity which he had _just knocked out_ by speaking the enchanted name of a five thousand year old being aloud.

'I guess the manager found us,' Yami murmured, getting to his feet. 'Or _whatever remains_ of her.'

' _Please_ don't talk about it like that, she— Yami? What're you _doing_?'

'Looking for a heavy and-slash-or blunt object. Get behind me. If we have to—'

'Uh. No? No way. _No_. If you're going to face those _things_ out there you're either doing it _with_ me or you're not doing it at all!'

'I don't think that's a safe option, Yugi.'

'And attacking them on your own is?! Yami, those _things_ used to be _people_. They still _are_ people, we can't just—!'

The scrape-knock was joined by a _slam_ that rattled the hotel room entrance. Yugi had heard that noise before. It was the same sound a body made when slamming against solid wood. The chest of drawers blocking the door -more an afterthought than a viable blockade-was rattling.

'Well if you have a _better_ idea...' Yami hissed.

'…Actually, I might.'

A hand gripped Yami's upper arm and pulled him backwards. There was the sound of wood splintering and metal hinges screaming in protest. 'How do you feel about shimmying down drainpipes, Other Me?'

'...I've shimmied down worse,' Yami muttered. He glimpsed a white shape -not quite an arm- reaching in to flourish through the gap it had opened in the doorway.

'Great! Come on, we've got to run for it!' Yugi was already opening the window and really, really hoping the forth storey up wasn't as high as he was imagining. 'Or... or climb. I guess.'


	4. Chapter Three: Those Left Behind

**Chapter Three: Those Left Behind (Are Not Willing To Stay There.)**

* * *

The door smashing was followed by a shining, translucent white hand that was, but wasn't quite human. Soon, the bodies followed. A crowd of cold figures rearing through the shattered glass of the window, scrambling along the walls.

The appearance of the beings varied from one to the next. Looking at them, Yugi could almost imagine spiders, crawling over the papered walls But there was nothing much else arachnid about them. They were a strange twist of nature, As if something that had never seen a human in the flesh had tried to construct one according to a vague description, but all they'd had to hand was white tack and tar and nothing to support the bones.

Yugi saw the tattered remains of company lanyards hanging from broken necks. A jagged, broken pair of spectacles sticking up out of a melting-plastic forehead. Their eyes were white and bleeding darkness like tears, and invariably they were missing limbs, jerking as they tried to walk without them. Their bodies twitched like dying animals as they filled the room with static.

Yugi's stomach lurched. Just a few hours... this had happened to them in just a few hours.

A hand grasped his. No time for hesitating. No time for wondering. 'Yugi, jump!'

So Yugi did.

The alleyway, surprisingly, was almost empty when they tumbled into it, scrambling from the window, to a drainpipe, They somehow managed to jostle across to a fire exit which had clearly never been used, nor _expected_ to be used for its intended purpose. The rusting metal buckled under Yugi's feet as they movedm Yami's hands on him all the time, holding on tight.

They half fell-half jumped the rest f the way down the twisted staircase, hit the ground with trembling limbs and scraped skin. They fell far enough to knock the wind from your gut, without being hard enough to shatter any bones. Metal clattered from a trash can Yugi had fallen against. Yami toppled down after him, landing with the grace of a cat, compared to Yugi's stumbling. Yugi could feel the grazed flesh of his elbows burning, the way an open wound does when exposed to chemicals. Shadow magic, eating at his skin. He fought the urge to be sick. Focused on the hand at his back and the stink of the alleyway around them. Now wasn't a good time for pain.

'Y-Yami?'

'I'm fine. Can you—'

'Y-yeah... Once,' he wheezed, trying to get the air back in his lungs. 'Just once... Yami... I'd like to go somewhere where everything _isn't_ trying to kill us.'

'As would I, thought it's unlikely to happen anytime soon' Yam was standing there, tense and ready, as if he hadn't just scurried down a drainpipe and over a broken fire escape like a convict.

'You seal the darkness, you control the darkness... I know.'

'Or _don't_ control it, as the case may be… Now, the airport, right?' he grabbed Yugi's hand. 'It would _help_ to have a vehicle.' He shoved a fallen trash can out of the way to let them through.

'Neither of us can drive!'

'I hardly think we're going to be given a _ticket_ , partner.'

Yugi swallowed pain and bile. A patch of half-light glanced at them from the entrance to the alleyway, wedging in between two dumpsters and discarded litter. 'I can't believe I got them into this.'

'Let's focus on getting _us_ out of it for now.'

The sound of metal clattered above. And ahead of them, shadows shifted in the light - more of the monsters, or just tricks of shadow realm scenery? They would have to find out.

'Yami, you know I _hate_ the very concept of the mind crush and made you promise to never do it, but... but could we clear the way a little?'

'You're not suggesting...?'

'...W-what about just a temporary shock, of some kind? Don't harm them, just give us time to get away? Like you did with the guy in Kaiba Land...'

Yami shook his head, _'That_ was a murderer. Mind crushes are centred on emotions and weaknesses, Yugi. These... creatures have no weaknesses of the mind; there are no emotions I could target that wouldn't just harm the body. The only way that would work would be to use it on whoever is _responsible_ for this mess, if anyone at all.'

It was, of course, entirely possible that _nobody_ had caused this. It had just... happened.

Ishizu had always warned them that it might, after the Pharaoh's... return. But they had no way of knowing for sure. It could've happened even if Yami had gone to the afterlife and remained there. This could have _nothing_ to do with him. Still there was always a fear. The deep rooted dread that neither of them dared to voice. Yugi wasn't sure which possibility he found more terrifying. A person -usually- could be stopped. Could be reasoned with. But Shadow Magic at its rawest...

'We'll discuss it later,' Yami muttered. 'Right now we should move.'

And now, up above them, the bodies of some of the creatures had clambered onto the fire escape. They began the climb down like ghostly mannequins. Yugi looked at them and swallowed. It was disturbing. But not in the same way as nightmares, or the sight of The Thousand Eyes Restrict during a match. Not disturbing in the way it would be to see the ghosts of your ancestors staring at you with parched white faces. It was the kind of horror that wedged in your mind, somewhere between panic and primal fear. A wrongness that you felt in your blood. It was the horror of seeing real people, _living_ souls, reduced to shells of flesh, pigment, and muscles; all dissolving as shadows fed on their bodies.

Yami's hand was still clutching Yugi's as they staggered between the dumpsters.

They ran.

* * *

 **Location: Cairo International Airport, Egypt**

 **Time: 10:21 pm.**

" _Hey there, you've reached Joey Wheeler's Mobile. I'm kinda busy helpin' save the world, kicking duellist ass or maybe I'm just out getting burgers or something, call me back later or leave a message!"_

'…Joseph? Hi, it's Marik Ishtar? I just thought you'd like to know that we're... Uh, well, still in Egypt. We'd _probably_ have made more progress, except we're having a... bit of an issue with Airport Security.

'We're still getting about as much response from Yugi's cell as we usually get from the catacombs. Which isn't much, in case you're wondering. I'd be glad of the break from staring at stone walls and text books, Joey, but-'

 **Click.**

'-Oh. Uh. Big Sister? I just lost reception to Joseph Wheeler.'

'Ah. I thought that might happen. The energy centred on Europe is probably interfering. That would explain why we couldn't contact Yugi after he called _us_ the first time.'

'So maybe the signals can get _out_ , but not _in_?'

'I'm not certain, Odion, but that's possible. Whatever the case, it means they must be getting close to the eye of the storm, so to speak.'

Marik frowned. It had only been a few hours since Yugi called them, surely... 'Wait, you mean they're already in Europe?'

'Perhaps not, but they're closer than we are. If you lost contact so abruptly it's likely they just moved into the sphere of influence. Knowing Kaiba, they probably did this by breaking every air traffic speed law in existence.'

'Hm. Well, at least _they_ don't have to deal with Airport Documentation.'

'Hm. Speaking of which, Marik, if you _want_ to get on a plane any time in the near future and have any hope of reaching Yugi before the imminent collapse of Europe, you will _sit still_ and allow me to fill out these forms in peace.'

'Huh. No offence intended, sister, but aren't you supposed to be on the Board of Directors for Egyptology? Why didn't you ever think _renew_ our passports after Battle City?'

 _'Former_ board member. I wasn't expecting -nor hoping- to travel again at such short notice. It's also very _difficult_ , brother, to explain your identity to the correct authorities when you aren't able to produce any evidence of birth records or documentation to _prove_ you exist in the first place and we currently have no way in which to explain the absence of those things.'

'…Ishizu, we _did_ live in tombs cut off from civilisation.'

'Exactly. But _that_ explanation isn't going to get us through customs in the next forty-five minutes. My method will.'

'And what would that method be?'

'A little creative licence.'

'… _Ishizu_.'

'Marik, _please_ don't smirk. I don't approve of this anymore than I would if you were doing it.'

'No, but _really_ , sister, _forging important documents_ is _surely_ not becoming for an important member of the Egyptian Counsel for Archaeology.'

 _'Former_ member. And it is _not_ forgery. I'm just... giving information that seems clear at first and that they hopefully won't notice the errors in until we get on a flight. The fastest way out of here is written on this paper and if we don't do _something_ to help the pharaoh soon then there is a strong risk we may lose them completely. I'm fairly sure that destiny may… _cut us some slack_ here.'

'And using _modern colloquialisms_ too. I never knew you had it in you sister.'

'Marik, _let me_ fill out these forms.'

'Heh, alright, sister. Odion, let's go see what we can dig out of the book store. It's a long flight to Vienna.'

'We aren't going to Vienna.'

'…What?'

'All flights to Europe have been cancelled. According to the airline assistant I spoke to in the offices, the closest we can get is England or the north east of America.'

'...Which is _how_ many miles away from them? Sister, we're no good to them there!'

'We may be more use than you think.'

'Ishizu, _what_ — wait, is this a destiny thing? I have a feeling it's a destiny thing, don't you Odion?'

'She _does_ have that particular look on her face...'

'Brothers, please. Just… call this a _strong hunch_. It really _is_ the best that I can do for us right now. And even that depends upon me being able to _fill in these papers_ convincingly…?'

'Hint taken, big sister.'

* * *

 **Location: Domino University Residents Area Twelve, Apartment Three.**

 **Time: 5:19 am.**

The damn landline was ringing again. One of those persistent callers who refused hang up until well after ring-the-eighteenth.

'Ngh… damn it, man… sleepin'.'

Ringing. Ringing.

'I said _shut up_.'

Ringing, ringing, ringing, ringing. Banging on the neighbour's wall. Etcetera.

'Oh for crying out…'

Ringing, ringing, ri—

 **Click.**

'Ugh… Teiko Itchika— I mean, Ishikawa Teiko, Flat Twelve, who the hell isthis?'

 _'About time you picked up, you little pestilence. What do you think I am, a bloody operating service? Where is he?'_

'…The hell, man?'

 _'You heard me:_ _ **where is he?**_ _'_

'Uh, you're gonna have to clarify a little for me here. Where's _who_? Because there are like, six people in this apartment. If you're some guy looking for Kanabashi then he swears on his parents' lives the money is gonna be with you by—'

 _'Oh for the love of Ra, will you do me a favour and_ shut _up?'_

'Charming. You know, you can get kicked out for prank calling.'

 _'Will you just_ put Ryou on the line _already?!'_

'...Ryou?'

 _'Yes. White haired kid. Quiet. Fondness for Cream Puffs. Absolutely no sense of self preservation and terrible fashion sense? Find him. Tell him it's Bakura._ _Now_ _.'_

It took a couple of blinks for Teiko to re-establish coherency. 'You… wait, _you're_ that white haired freak who hangs around with _**our**_ white haired freak, aren't you?'

 _'And the genius finally works it out! Congratulations, you win a prize of not being sent to the Shadow Ream, provided not a single word I don't want to hear comes out of your mouth for the rest of this –hopefully short– conversation.'_

'Hey! Man, I'd have a few choice words _to_ say to you if I weren't half asleep.'

 _'I don't care. Is. Ryou. Bakura. In. That. Flat. Or. Not?!'_

'Well I mean he's kinda… well, no.'

Indeed, Ryou's room and the study area were empty as Teiko stumbled through them. He vaguely remembered coming back to the flat at... what was it? Three thirty? He was pretty sure he had seen Ryou rushing past him and down the stairs with a backpack. He hadn't the time -or the sobriety- to ask why.

The groan down the phone line sounded like a asthmatic vulture. _'No. Of_ course _he's not. So where do you think he_ _might_ be _, hm? Where can I find that annoying little Yadounoushi who so stupidly refuses to_ leave a message _for the other half of his soul before charging off to god knows where?_ '

Ohhh right, _that_ was why the guy always seemed so creepy to Teiko. He kept using words like _other half of his soul_. 'I have no idea what you're talking about.'

 _'You wouldn't. It's beyond you, anyway. Now_ _where_ _has Ryou_ _run off to_ _?'_

Teiko wasn't the smartest of people in the dorm. He knew that. But honestly, Ryou's ... _friend_ or whatever he was (Teiko had assumed they were brothers)... Well, he was just plain _creepy_ , and this was probably the most riled up Teiko had ever heard him. Telling him where Ryou was seemed like it would be unwise, even if he _knew_...

Teiko had an aunt who had to leave her ex for reasons that sounded _pretty_ similar to what Teiko was hearing now. He gripped the phone tighter.

'Uhuh. And why exactly should I _tell you_ anything, mister "I'm-all-scary-and-screaming-down-the-phone-line-at-a-guy-I-don't-even-know? 'Cause I had enough stress dealing with you _last_ time you showed up here and I tell you, I ain't ever looking at the toaster in the same way again.'

 _'_ _Listen_ _to me, mortal—'_

'No!' Teiko was wide awake now, common sense kicking in as adrenaline pushed the alcohol out of his system. (Seriously, "mortal"? Who did this guy think he was?) _'Y_ _ou_ listen. Enough is _enough._. I don't know who the _hell_ you are, but you are like... _nowhere_ close to mentally healthy, an' that's cool and all, I get some people have issues; but if you don't leave our flatmate alone, then the next time I see you, we're gonna have to give you a taste of your own freaking _medicine_!'

The caller laughed like a banshee. _'Is that so? You_ _ridiculous_ _fools, I_ _would_ _like to see you try.'_

Maybe it was his imagination, but the receiver seemed to be _burning_ in Teiko's hand... 'Oh yeah?'

' _Oh yes_.'

A silent pause. Teiko could hear his molars grinding.

 _'Well. Stubborn aren't we? Alright, then,'_ the caller continued, suddenly sounding far too polite for Teiko to be comfortable. _'Let me be generous and make this simple. Now, ignorant, lazy little mortals like yourself couldn't even begin to comprehend the reality that lies before you. Even when the meaning to existence is sitting right in front of your faces (which it pretty much is, by the way), you don't see it. Thus, you, Ishikawa Teiko, cannot possibly understand what is happening now and doubtless, you have not even switched on that wretched television of yours to find out what is going on_ _outside_.'

'Hey, I _watch_ the news, okay?'

 _'Oh? Then no doubt you know about the Vienna incident that's taking place right at this moment? The dark that is threatening Europe even as we sit here wasting time so I can explain it to you in a language you comprehend?'_

'Of course we know! It's on pretty much every channel.' Not that he'd been paying all that much attention, he had been pretty drunk when he got back to the flat.

 _'Good. Now, if you have any intuition at all, you_ _also_ _know of the threats that news channels are being deliciously hush-hush about, but which are still obviously_ coming _, judging from the looks on their faces as they read the latest headlines? The nightmares? The stories about people pulled out of gutters apparently dead but still, for some reason, trying to_ _attack_ _those who dragged them out?'_

'...Uh. What?' Teiko was having trouble seeing what this had to do with his flatmate. He'd seen the news, of course, but things had apparently gotten a lot worse since he left the flat at seven or so yesterday evening with a couple of buddies. Ryou hadn't come. He never did. Teiko had left him staring at the television over a textbook, worrying his bottom lip.

He hadn't thought much of it at the time. Ryou had always been introverted. Teiko figured it was a history-student thing.

 _'Oh believe me, mortal, you've heard_ nothing _yet. Of course, my useless other half has, as usual, gotten himself involved with things far beyond his control. So if you want to see him alive again, I suggest you let me know where you saw him last so I can ensure it happens.'_

A hesitation. 'Okay so... I'm... not following. Exactly what does Ryou have to do with the news?'

Another vulture-like growl. _'Well if I don't track him down in good time, then he's probably going to be_ on _the news himself, for one thing. Probably as a corpse.'_

Teiko blinked, the pieces slotting together in his mind. 'You think... no way, man, he doesn't have a reason to-'

But wait, Bakura was _European_ , wasn't he? Or at least he'd lived there long enough to have an accent. Teiko swallowed. _Fuck_. He hadn't even thought of that earlier, no wonder Ryou had sat there looking so worried. What if he had _relatives_ in the middle of that? What if... 'He wouldn't be that dumb!'

 _'I see you don't know him half as well as I do. Yes, idiot, he's_ going _to Austria. And he_ can _get there. His ridiculous little friends will see to that. Now_ , _the rest of world can go to hell for all I care, human. But I need Ryou Bakura_ _alive_ _-again, for reasons you could probably never comprehend.'_

'…Fuck.'

 _' Finally wrapped your head around a bit of primal horror, hm? Now, for the last time, tell me when he left and where he was going.'_

Teiko could feel the blood drain from his face. 'Man I… he left hours ago, okay? And I dunno where he was going... the airport, I guess? Wait, why would he—'

 **Click. Beep.**

'… Go there?' Teiko heavily replaced the receiver and lets the silence hang for a second. 'God damn it, that crazy _bastard.'_

* * *

 **Location: Somewhere over Asia,**

 **Time: 8:30 pm.**

' _You've reached Seto Kaiba's mobile. I'm occupied at the moment. If you're a business partner contact the HQ receptionist and wait. Otherwise, leave a message.'_

'Ohhkay. Seto? Yeah, I know, this is the third time I've called and you're probably going to be really pissed when I catch up with you, but honestly, if you wanted me to stay home you should've left me with something more interesting than a physics exam. I'm…

'Actually I'm not entirely sure where we are besides "on one of our planes". We're talking an over-land route since I told them to take the fastest route. We just have to hope,... I don't know, that the army doesn't catch us or something. Our pilot's not exactly being helpful, no matter how much I try to explain to him I understand navigator speak and.

'Try and hire employees who don't patronize me so much next time, okay?

'Anyway I'll see you in Vienna I… I hope you're there. I'm _pretty_ sure you'll be there, but if you're not, this would be a _really_ good time to call and tell me. I know something weird is going on there and… and I know how bad it is. I _don't_ know why _you'd_ wanna get yourself involved in it, big brother, but if it's something to do with _them_ , then…

'Ah, damn it, I'll just see you there. Try not to get in any trouble without me. Okay, big brother? Okay?

'…Okay.

'Seeya.'

 **Beep.**


	5. Chapter Four: Arrivals

**Chapter Four: Arrivals**

* * *

 **Location: Approaching Vienna International Airport, 9000 Ft Above Sea Level.**

 **Time: 10:14 am.**

'Tristan? Yo, Tris, wakey wakey!'

Waking was, in fact, the very last thing Tristan wanted to do, on account of the fact that most of him _hurt_ in some way or another. Including his nails. He wasn't sure how.

'Ngggh… oh _god_ put me back in th'monkey,'

He heard a sympathetic hiss, and a hand thumped his shoulder with at least a _little_ more gentleness than usual. 'Doubt it'd help. We're nearly there, man, get it together.'

'Mrf. I thought I skipped this part.'

'Nah, you can't outrun a hangover. Good effort, though, ya had a real intellectual drunk thing going for a while there.'

'Urgh, but— wait, Joey?'

'Yeah. Me. Go figure.'

So Tristan looked around and... well, he'd woken up in stranger -and way more uncomfortable- places. Mai had her eyes fixed on her deck, clutched in her hands. Ryou offered him a polite wave and next to him, eyes closed, and with her head on Ryou's shoulder, Téa was... there.

Wait, _what_? 'Whoa. Hang on... Were we just in NEW YORK?'

Joey shrugged. 'More like, a couple hours ago, but yeah. These Kaiba Corp jets are pretty sweet - don't tell 'im I said so.' He smirked. 'Man, you _should've_ seen the look on those airport guys faces when we just _charged_ up the landin' strip and—'

'Whoa, back up,' Tristan croaked. 'An' _please_ get me a glass of water... where are we again?'

The previous night was coming back to him in pieces. He remembered a scary looking news broadcast, and phone calls, and then an unnerving ride to Kaiba Corp with... he thinks it was _Mai_ , at the handlebars of his motorcycle? There was also something about Yami and Yugi and Vienna and... Oh.

Tristan sat up straighter as Mai, may the gods of duelling bless her, handed him a water bottle that he drained in a few gulps before even trying to speak again. 'Okay so... I guess I _didn't_ dream any of that?'

'Nope.'

'We're actually _going_ to Austria?'

'Yep.'

'End of the world protocols are in place, an all that stuff?'

'Well I'm not here to show off my new dance moves,' Téa mumbled from Ryou's shoulder. She looked as bad as Tristan felt, though he suspected, in her case, it was a combination of nerves and sleep deprivation, and not alcohol. Cracking an eye open, she looked at him. 'Hey Tristan. How's the hangover?'

'Uh... feels like there's a clamp around my head, but okay. How's New York?'

'Cold and wet. Everyone has the flu. But we're here now, so...' Téa shrugged in that way she had -the way that told him she was pretty sure things would be okay as long as they were together and nobody was dying. Even now, years later, it was oddly reassuring.

Except... someone might already _be_ dead. Tristan swallowed the bile in his throat. 'Dude, we are flying into _so_ much trouble aren't we?'

'In fairness,' Bakura said quietly. 'That's not exactly new.'

'True. So where the heck are we now?'

'Not sure,' Joey said. 'But Kaiba reckons we're pretty close. Last I checked we were in the middle of crossing that ocean between American and Europe, I forget which one.'

'I think you mean the _Atlanti_ — whoa, what the hell?' Tristan had glanced to his left. Through the unusually large aircraft window, clouds were zipping past at such a speed that he felt, briefly, as if someone had put the world on fast-forward.

'Yeah, pretty fast, huh?,' Téa yawned. 'Kaiba says we had to take a scenic route to Austria in order to find a viable flight path. That and, well, you had _me_ to pick up.'

'Aw man, we're not gonna get checked at the airport or something are we?' Tristan groaned. 'My passport hasn't been renewed since the _last_ time we went to Egypt; this _might_ be illegal.' He had to duck his head for a new moments. '…Urgh, I think I need to go back to sleep so I can wake up and find out I'm dreaming. What freaking _time zone_ are we even in now, anyway?'

'Oh, I wouldn't worry about that until we land,' Bakura said helpfully. 'It doesn't really matter what the time zone is when you're moving between them. We'll just find out when we get to Austria.'

'Yeah and anyway, you would've complained about it later if we hadn't brought ya along. Man, you're never happy. C'mon, we're getting to see Europe!'

'During an apocalypse!'

'That's unusual?'

Urgh... no.'

'Anyway, you wanna coffee? We've got some of the fancy stuff in cans that heats itself.'

Great. Just great. Well, on the plus side, being the owner's son meant the factory _probably_ couldn't fire him and even if they did... well. Worse things happened at sea, right? And they _were_ technically at sea now, if several thousand feet above it, with an apocalypse in progress.

'Yeah... coffee would be good, thanks.'

* * *

 **Vienna International Airport Runway Twelve.**

 **Time: 10:19 am.**

Kaiba knew his company's pilots were as good as they came, but that didn't prevent him from feeling a faint touch of relief when they touched down without colliding with any other crafts on a still, silent and (most worryingly of all) dark as the grave runway.

'All systems normal, touched down with no interference, Mister Kaiba,' the pilot was looking through the window with confusion even as he said this. He was likely thinking the same thing as Kaiba - wondering where the hell the lights and people were, and what the hell they might have just touched down _into_. It was like one of those movies Mokuba occasionally convinced him to watch: the ones about darkness and the creatures that inhabited it. Why Mokuba enjoyed such nonsense was beyond Seto, but even so... If he listened closely, Kaiba could imagine movement in the shadows from creatures that were anything but human. Kaiba had never had any respect for such blatantly obvious Hollywood movies, but that didn't change the fact that there was clearly some _thing_ out there.

Or maybe it wasn't ironic at all.

The co pilot glanced at his colleague, muttering, both of them seemed to have decided this whole thing was a bad idea.

'Whenever you're _ready_ , pilot,' Kaiba said.

'R-right, sir… Of course. Commencing Final System Checks.'

He didn't sound sure, but Kaiba let it go. Honestly, there was a lot more he had to be concerned at least there are if the news reports and Yugi Muto were to be believed. He found it slightly ironic that he considered Yugi the more reliable source of information. He reached for the cockpit door latch, ready to turn his back on the darkness before them.

That was the moment the true horror film began.

Something large, white, and _very much_ alive (or not) threw itself into the window of the cockpit, fingers scraping down the glass as smooth as glaciers. Kaiba didn't _quite_ gasp as the industrial strength, high velocity resistant window -glass designed not to fracture in below zero temperatures- splintered beneath its grip.

The pilots weren't exactly as reserved as he was.

And neither, it seemed, was Wheeler, still in the back of the aircraft thought doubtlessly no longer sitting in his chair.

' _Holy shit—Kaiba,_ what the _hell_ was that?!'

* * *

 **Location: Highway En-Route to Vienna International Airport.**

 **Time: 10:35 am.**

Yugi had to admit, he'd never been in a ground-based vehicle moving _quite_ this fast as this before. Except possibly the back of Tristan's motorcycle. And even Tristan was a more careful driver than Yami. Then again, he was also fairly sure that Yami had never had a lesson in his life. That would explain all the swerving.'Where are we now?'

'Somewhere just outside of the highway,' the map was hard enough to read as it was without the way the vehicle was moving. 'Yami. _Ach_! Look, I get these are bad circumstances but—'

A hard collision with a rolled over trashcan which has somehow found its way onto the freeway near shocks him into silence but somehow he swallows and keeps talking. Yugi really could carry out a conversation in the strangest of situations. It must be a talent he learned from Joey.

'…I'm still pretty sure that this—'

Crunch.

'Counts—'

Hands overhead to keep his skull from cracking against the roof (which given how utterly short Yugi still is, is really saying something about just how insanely Yami is driving. '—As _stealing_!'

'I hardly think his is a good time to be discussing the matter! Its owner is probably one of the things trying to catch up with us. Which one is the clutch, again?'

'Uh... well in _our_ cars it's on the left but… ah, there it is, _there_ it is!'

Another hard lurch threw him back in his seat. On the other hand, at least Yami seems to be getting the hang of it.

'W-well, I guess giving this vehicle _back_ depends entirely on us keeping it in one piece in the first place!' Yugi muttered.

A white flash split past the window with a speed that made Yami's driving look like a steady crawl in rush-hour. Yugi tasted burning as something hot (or maybe boiling cold) skimmed past the outside of the SUV they had commandeered for the occasion. Yami gave a quiet hiss of anger; feral, strange and very much _not_ -human. Yugi was only aware of it because their mental link allowed him to feel it; otherwise it'd be impossible to hear Yami over the roar of the engine. 'See what I mean?'

'Yeah, I get the picture! We can't be far away, I recognise that tree patch from the last time we were here, so... so we're going the right way. Possibly on the wrong side of the road, but…'

The white flash returned. In front of them this time, sweeping out of nowhere and colliding thickly with the windshield. The glass cracked and shards broke as claws which probably used to be fingers crunched into it. He could see the creature's face -or what used to be one, totally crushed by the collision, broken bones and a smashed jaw and yet it was still _screaming_. The eyes were staring at him. Wide, disturbingly human…

…Frightened.

No. Not frightened. _Terrified_. Even more so than Yugi was at that moment.

'Yami!'

'On it. Wheel!'

Yugi reached over and grabbed the wheel on impulse. Yugi didn't even think to argue (or comment on how this really _wasn't_ a Hollywood action scene and shouldn't be conducted like one) as Yami opened the skylight and started to climb onto the room.

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport Runway Twelve.**

 **Time: 10:43 pm.**

Nobody asked Kaiba exactly what it _was_ that just tried to burst into the aircraft through shatterproof windows, but none of them really seemed to care about the details. All that mattered now was that it has gone. Téa could stop shaking and Bakura could pull himself out of the gap between the chairs where he fell as soon as the creature started pounding on the window. Since they dimmed the lights in the aircraft, everything has gone silent again.

'Okay,' Mai gulped as she balanced herself against the door of the cockpit, 'well, this is _nice_ , isn't it? Know what? I'm not doing this anymore, Wheeler. You can damn well save the world on your own next time.'

'C'mon, Mai, we know you don't mean that,' Joey huffed. 'But what in the name of hell _were_ those freaks?'

'What do you mean _those freaks_? Joey, don't tell me you saw more than _one_ of them!'

'Well sorry, Ryou, I wasn't exactly stoppin' to count!'

'It was probably a Human.' Kaiba said bluntly.

That earned him a few odd glances, but what did he care? He understood from what Yugi told him -in hurried words through static interference- that the people in Vienna wouldn't exactly be _normal_ by now, and Kaiba had a vague idea of what he would see from the second they touched down. based on Yugi's descripton . _"Like... someone turned them into clay a... drained it white, Kaiba, and... and then stuck a bu... nails and claws on it. Think... think Ojama Yellow meets a Gimmick Puppet a-and you're kin...halfway there."_

He figured Yugi would've had the sense to also _warn_ his cheer-leading squad just what they were getting into. Apparently not.

He left his pilots to deal with the mess in the cockpit and stepped into the main aircraft, observing his passengers. 'Yugi mentioned it. Those creatures are _human_. Or at least, they used to be. Look in the eyes and you can even see it. It's a sick situation but I've no reason not to believe it.'

'Oh,' Mai's voice was dry as a bone. 'Wonderful. _Just_ what we need. Not only are we up against _freaks_ but those freaks also happen to be the former citizens of Austria. Wish to hell Yugi had told us _that_ before we got on the plane.'

Tristan glanced out the window. 'Sure is quiet now though, isn't it? I mean, now it's gone…'

'Yeah. _Too_ qui—'

'Ac-hem.'

'Sorry, that just kinda came out. But, yeah, it's quiet. Creepy.'

'And _dark_ ,' Téa added. 'I'm not seeing any runway lights, no building lights… no _anything_. I can't even see the airport. Where _is_ everyone?' Téa swallowed and somehow found herself looking in Kaiba's direction for an explanation. 'It can't be that _everyone_ in the City looks like… that _thing_ , right? Some people must have _survived_ or else how did Yugi call us?'

'We should assume they all look like this,' Kaiba said. 'That thing _was_ human. Whatever caused this, it probably happened to every human in the city.'

Joey swallowed. 'Then... what about us? I'm not feelin' any extra teeth sprouting, man. You don't think _we'll_ end up like that, do ya?'

'Unlikely. It must be a primary infection situation.'

'A what?'

'Never listen in biology, Wheeler? It means that you had to be present when the event began in order to be affected... Or maybe it's some kind of genetic manifestation. Either way I think all of us will be safe. For now.'

'Except Yugi,' Mai muttered.

'Exactly.'

'Well, they called us here, didn't they?' Joey snapped. 'Yami sounded human to me.'

'He sounded human when he contacted you _eight hours ago_ , Wheeler. And none of us have heard from either of them since then. There's no saying Yugi's the same _now_. As for Yami... who can say? This is somewhat closer to _his_ territory.'

The look on Téa face implied she was resisting her primal brain's urge to scream in horror. '…Crap.'

'Exactly.'

'Man,' Wheeler leaned against a chair, his face paler than usual. 'Must be like something outta _Dawn of the Dead_ out there… S'cept with living people and freaky black skies, instead of dead people an' shopping malls.'

' _Dawn of the Dead_ had a _shopping mall_?' Bakura blinked.

'Sure it did. You _really_ need to brush up on your international cinema.'

 _'You're_ the one who can't get past the opening credits of _It's a Wonderful Life,_ dude.'

'Is now really the time?' Téa snapped.

'Sorry,' Tristan apologised. 'It's just I'm really freaked out right now an' heckling each other is our coping mechanism, remember?'

Mai sighed. 'Look, are you're sure those things out there are _alive_? Because they don't _look_ _alive_ to me. Asides from the fact they're moving about and let's face it, that doesn't prove _anything_.'

Kaiba opened a briefcase in front of him with a click. 'They're alive. Most of them, anyway. Some are probably just being driven by willpower whether they're living or not. They're like puppets, dominated by their own over-endowed senses, capable of annihilating with a single touch... but they're definitely alive. And they'll stay that way, at least until the Shadow Realm has drained them of all use or one of us kills them.'

'...An' how do you even _know_ that?' Joey frowned.

Kaiba's grip tightened almost imperceptibly on the briefcase edges. 'I think I _know_ about being possessed, Mutt.'

Joey snorted. 'Heh... what do you know, he admits it. Anyway, are saying I _don't_ know about that? Cause you'd better believe I do.'

Mai looks up. 'Yeah and let's not forget _me_ , Kaiba. The Oricalcos? The thing that messed with my brain, my focus _and_ my fashion all in one shot?'

Téa raises her hand. 'Yeah, uh, and _me_ , while you're at it.'

There was a silent pause while Tristan glanced to Mai, Mai turned to Joey and Joey looked at Téa. 'I think that says it all, personally,' Bakura coughed. He didn't even bother to mention himself.

'Yeah, pretty much _all of us_ have of us have had that experience at some point or another,' Téa shrugged. 'So nobody is a special case. It was different every time, it just depends on what kind of possession it was, and I don't think they have a classification system in place for that kind of thing… '

'Don't remind me, Téa, please. The Thief is bad enough now we're no longer sharing a body and he's _not_ attempting to take over the world every opportunity he gets, but _before_ that…' Bakura's shiver could be felt throughout the aircraft. Even Seto Kaiba twitched a little at the reminder of the _thing_ Bakura could become.

Tristan groaned. 'Urgh. Is it just me, or does hanging around with Yugi and Yami _really_ mess with your head?'

Kaiba snorted. 'I think alcohol is what's messing with _your_ s. Serves you right, really. A conventional airport probably wouldn't have let you on board.'

'Oh, well _excuse me_ , I wasn't expecting to get dragged halfway round the world after the night of an office party and… and Kaiba, what _is_ that, exactly?' His eyes had shifted to the item Kaiba had removed from the briefcase while everyone else was discussing How Possession Felt.

The briefcase closed with another click. 'What does it look like, Taylor?

'Well it… kinda looks like a dangerous piece of weaponry.'

'Also known as a 48 Calibre pistol,' Kaiba said, holding it out to him. 'Be careful it's heavy.'

'What? So first you brought is all the way out here and _now_ you're giving us _guns_?' Téa raised an eyebrow. 'Kaiba, you can't be suggesting we…'

'Well let's see, Gardner,' Kaiba snapped. 'This entire city is full of creatures that _won't_ pause to give a pointless speech about the cards in their hand _before_ they start ripping your limbs off, but, last I checked, they were _still_ flesh and blood. They'll still respond to firearms. Probably.'

'So you think we should _shoot_ them?' Tristan gawked.

' _No_ , Taylor, I'm giving you the guns as a form of _decoration_. And you're supposed to open the barrel to fill the—'

'Zip it already, Kaiba, I _know_ how to use a gun.'

'Wow. I'm almost impressed. Be careful with it, it's the only spare I have.'

'Good!' Téa snapped. 'You're not giving me one of those things!'

'Wasn't planning on trusting you with one, Gardner. There are Tasers instead. Worst you can do with those is give the mutt an electric shock or two. Hell, that might even be good for him.'

'Hey!'

Bakura looked uneasy. 'I mean... alright, but I'm with Téa, to be honest. Kaiba, you just said that those things are _alive_ , didn't you? As in they're _people_. I don't know how I feel about shooting them.'

'I'm not suggesting you go on a gun totting rampage. I'm not even sure weapons like this will be any _good_. Just try and keep the things away from us so we don't have to find out.'

'Man, you really are the baron of generosity today.'

'For your information I have _shares_ out here,' Kaiba grunted, picking up a Taser. 'The end of Europe would also be the end of a large percentage of Kaiba Corporation's Customs. Now, we're about twelve miles from the hotel Yugi mentioned, and we have a choice: We either stay here and wait for them to come to _us_ , or we try to find _them_ in a city several hundred kilometres wide and filled with zombies. I think you know which one I'm opting for.'

'And what if they _don't_ get to us?' Tristan asked, hangover forgotten as he gazed at the handgun. 'What if... what you thought might've happened has already…'

'Then we'll find out, fix the rest of this mess and get out,' Kaiba spoke as evenly as any man who had been handling firearms, martial arts weaponry, and duel cards all his life. 'Without them, if necessary.'

'Like hell,' Joey muttered. Nobody else said anything. Nobody wanted to get any closer to admitting that Kaiba might be right.

* * *

 **Location: Highway En-Route to Vienna International Airport.**

 **Time: 11:03 am.**

Yugi wasn't sure what Yami did, exactly. All he knew was that one minute his view was being obscured by a creature looking ready to tear him to pieces if it got through the windshield, and the next Yami was muttering strange words under his breath and the creature was thrown from the vehicle in a flurry of black sparks. 'Whoa!'

'Hm. Yeah. _Not_ a move I like to use often,' Yami was grimacing faintly as he ducked back down from the skylight, still shaking strange black particles of… Yugi could only think to call it "anti-light", from his fingers.

'Yami what did you do?!'

'A little blast of concentrated shadow magic into its face. Like a laser, I suppose, only... not.'

'Oh… oh-kay, I had no idea you could do that.'

'Actually, neither did I until I tried. Those things are like _lightning_ even in close quarters.'

'You're bleeding.'

It was running down his arm and only now did Yami seem to notice. 'Yes, the glass on the roof is broken. Keep going. We need to get to the airport. Did you call Joey?'

'I tried, there's no signal.' The car shuddered a little but it's doing a lot better than it was when Yami was driving it and neither of them wonders about what they just ran over. 'Y-Yami what if they aren't there...?'

'Still better than being out here, Partner,' Yami lunged back up through the skylight. The wind has blasted out the tie keeping his hair both back and _down_ , so now it was standing upright again, the way Yugi's did and the way Yami's always _used_ to back in the days when they shared a body. Yami went to such pains to make them both look _different_ , these days… Sometimes, his distinctiveness was pretty difficult to miss.

…Which was a really _stupid_ thing to notice when you were driving at 80 kph on a pitch black freeway while trying to keep a bunch of really fast, twisted looking, once-human creatures off your tailpipe.

'You know, Yami, I think maybe you'd better let me drive from now on.'

'…Yes, that might well be a good suggestion...' Yami called back through the open skylight but his voice had turned cold and serious. When Yugi glanced at the windshield, he saw the reason why. That reason was large, white, cloud shaped, and consisted of perhaps three dozen or more once-human bodies, racing like the wind behind their vehicle on the battered Vienna freeway '…I think I need to stay on the roof.'

* * *

 **Location: Entering Vienna Airspace.**

 **Time: 11:23 pm.**

'…Mister Mokuba?'

'…'

'Kaiba, sir?'

'Mff. W-what?'

'Sorry, sir. I just thought you'd like to know we'll enter Austrian airspace within forty five minutes, though I think we may be experiencing a small... technical difficulty.

That woke Mokuba up a little. Technical difficulties of planes were never a good thing. Especially not technical difficulties on Kaiba Corporation planes, because it stood to reason that planes as good as theirs shouldn't ever _get_ technical difficulties at all. 'Oh-kay, define "small technical difficulty" for me.'

'There appears to be no signal whatsoever from the airbase in Vienna, and we've been signalling them for half an hour. It's likely the chaos we observed on international stations is still going on. For all we know the airport is shut down .'

'Yeah,' Mokuba rubbed his eyes . 'I figured it might be something like that.'

Marcus hesitated, obviously weighing up what he was about to say, trying to balance the information he usually had to work with ("protect Mokuba no matter what") with what he was being asked to do right now. 'As your adviser in this situation, sir, I... strongly suggest we turn back .'

'…'

Marcus shifted in response to Mokuba's silence. No wonder, though. Mokuba had expected that. Not for the first time, he considered what a mess he and his brother had gotten people like Marcus and Roland into.

'What're your orders, Mister Kaiba?'

Mokuba wished he _looked_ older. The suit and haircut helped (even if he could still _hear_ some of their Secretaries whispering about it being _adorable_ when they didn't think he was listening), but there were aspects of being a teenager you just couldn't get around quickly. The height, for one thing. He didn't understand how his brother managed it - always looking so grown up and correct. Holding his own against businessmen three times his age. Mokuba knew when his brother was this age, he already had people asking "how high" whenever he said jump. For some reason Mokuba couldn't seem to emulate the effect his brother had.

Still, he was doing his best, and so long as he was paying their wages…

'…No.' He looked up, resolutely. 'We're not turning back. Have we heard from other planes in the vicinity?'

'Nothing within Vienna airspace, sir; and the only other European-bound flight appears to be a Boeing 737 currently en route from Cairo to London Heathrow, sir. There's not much that we can pick up on from here, but the silence could suggest anything. There could be vehicles down there we're not aware of, and of course it's _extremely_ dangerous to attempt a landing without a ground crew.'

Mokuba took a deep breath. 'This is Kaiba Corp. The pilot can handle it.'

'…Sir?'

'Don't bother, Marcus. If our pilot can't land an aircraft without having the thing on autopilot then he shouldn't be _working_ for us in the first place. Besides,' he shuffles a little. 'If my brother is down there –and I have a pretty good feeling he is– then we're going in after him.'

'Sir… Mokuba, I should remind you that we're not even certain Mister Kaiba is _in_ Vienna.'

Mokuba smiled at him and meant it. 'Guess you just aren't lucky enough to have a duellist's instinct for seeking out other duellists then, do you Marcus?' _Or a little brother's instincts for seeking out the older one_ , he added in thought. 'We can smell each other a mile away.'

He knew they were in trouble when the tremors began.


	6. Chapter Five: Mistakes

**Chapter Five: Mistakes**

* * *

 **Location** : **Vienna Airspace, 5000 ft.**

 **Time: 11:13 pm.**

It didn't matter what Marcus tried to tell him. Mokuba had felt air turbulence at its worst in the back seat of the Blue-Eyes-White-Jet, cruising at an altitude of eight thousand feet, and it didn't even come close to this.

'Marcus, gimme a break, to hell if that's just air resistance! There's something wrong, now tell me what's going on.'

Marcus rubbed his head a little.

'…The autopilot's failing sir. But like you said, we do have an experienced pilot…'

...Unfortunately, the only experienced pilot Mokuba Kaiba would trust to get them out of this kind of situation wasn't on the aircraft.

'Yeah, well… how experienced are they with the kind of stuff we saw on the news, Marcus? Let me in the cockpit.'

'Sir?

'You heard me, move aside.'

It was funny, really. A part of Mokuba wanted to feel _glad_ that at least one of his employees (who he could actually trust this time) seemed to be trying to shield him from worry. But since he'd _been_ worried (not to mention annoyed) ever since they left Japan, Marcus hadn't really helped much, so Mokuba shoved his way through the door to the cockpit.

And froze dead in his tracks.

It looked like something out of a horror movie. A really _bad_ one with substandard visual effects that managed to look more sick than terrifying. The entire viewing window was glazed over with a mess of web-like substance, glowing like midnight fungus or something out of a radium laboratory and as Mokuba kept looking, he saw the webs take on forms. _Humanoid_ forms. Really, really, _creepy_ humanoids, with hands and nails (sort of) and web-like fingers gripping the glass.

'Oh, shit, Marcus what the hell _is_ that?'

Whatever it was, it had covered the plane like an extra skin, clinging against freezing winds' as their downward decent became more and more unstable.

Whatever the stuff was, wasn't going to help them land. Mokuba's mind raced. If that stuff had gotten into the jets... the engines...

The Pilot barely glanced over to see Mokuba's entrance. All of the usual Kaiba Corp employee decorum had gone from the older man's face as he fought to keep the plane on a steady descent, while reaching for his radio.

* * *

 **Vienna Airspace, 4000 ft.**

 **Time: 11:33 pm.**

'This is Brava three-two-one KC International, requesting urgent assistance from all available stations, Brava three-two-one over.'

'…'

'Repeat this is Brava three-two-one, Kaiba Corporation intercontinental business transportation. We are experienced technical difficulties and require _urgent_ assistance, calling all systems; do you read me, over?'

'… _ **…He**_ _… ca_ _ **ll**_ _…_ '

'Hello? Hello! Brava three-two-one calling incoming signal, do you read us? There are children on board, repeat there is a _child_ on _board.'_

 _'…_ _ **.Crkle. W**_ _e're…_ _ **n**_ _o… he_ _ **… fi…si**_ _gnal…_ _ **ver**_ _.'_

'Oh, for god's sakes, speak up!'

 _'…T_ _ **three… one? This**_ _… Brava two three three, also of_ _ **Kaiba Corp**_ _… Connection. O…_ _ **er**_ _?'_

'Wait Kaiba Corp? _You're_ Kaiba Corp? I'll be _damned_ the kid was right. I… can you try to clear your signal, pilot? I can't understand a word you're—'

 _'Brav_ _ **a… three-two-**_ _one… my… we're both… Ba_ _ **Corp**_ _._

'You _did_ say Kaiba Corp didn't you? You're in Vienna Airport? Right now? I… please repeat your serial number and designation... Jaikana? Hell, is that _you_ down there? You're telling me he actually took you _into_ this?'

 _'…_ _ **eah spea... yourself, man**_ _. What_ _ **the… ll're**_ _you… up_ _ **there…**_ _Daisuke?'_

'God, we'll explain _that_ later. We're having trouble landing. We were destined for runway twelve, Vienna International Airport. Controls have been jeopardised by… by, god I don't know, they're _everywhere_!'

 _'_ _ **Wa…**_ _wha… you_ _ **do… we**_ _c_ _ **a**_ _n't…_ _ **state yo… inati**_ _on?'_

'There's no _time_ to explain, man, we're going to crash! Get us out of this before we get the heir of Kaiba Corporation killed in his own airplane!'

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport Runway Twelve.**

 **Time: 11:34 am.**

When Kaiba next stormed out of the cockpit he had managed to work himself into even more of a bad mood than he had already been in. Just looking at his "cargo" was making him tense up. Usually they weren't worth this much attention. 'Remind me never to do you people a favour ever again.'

…In fact, he didn't really _trust_ them to remind him. He'd just have to write his own post it notes.

'Oh-kay, and you're talking about _what_ , exactly, Kaiba?' Joey sighed. He had been pacing up and down the cabin, muttering under his breath, eyes flickering back and forth between the floor and the plane exit.

'Turns out another Kaiba Corporation registered jet is approaching flight path twelve right now, and it isn't under my authorisation which means it can only have come from one person.'

Everyone looked at him. 'Mokuba?' Téa asked.

'We two are the only ones who have clearance. He probably followed all the way from Domino.'

'…You trying to tell me a _teenager_ is flyin' that jet?'

His remark earned him only a second's worth of scornful glance and by the time Joey realised the problem with what he just said, Kaiba has charged back into the cockpit.

'Okay. Not to be obvious, Kaiba, but aren't _we_ stranded on runway twelve?'

'Exactly. _Sit down_ already, I've got a jet to move.'

He didn't as much as glance at them as he disappeared into the cockpit. Really, he should have stayed in there the whole damn flight and saved himself the bother, but some of his employees got sweaty if he stuck around for very long, and the last thing anyone needed was a nervous pilot.

Said pilot was one of this oldest employees; he'd been in the company since long before Gozabaru's death, and was honestly one of the few people Kaiba trusted at the controls of a vehicle besides himself. He glanced up as Kaiba entered.

'Ah… Mister Kaiba—?'

I know you _heard_ me say that, Pilot, but I don't see you following my orders.'

'B-but we have to re-establish the engines sir it… could take several minutes.'

'You've got two of them.'

'But sir, I—'

'One minute fifty four seconds! _Do it_!'

'Sir… look.'

Hs voice has changed to something more dazed than frightened… Kaiba looked up.

The white eyed face has returned to the smashed glass of the window, frozen in a moment, like a bad illustration. Then before anyone could so much as blink, one of those very much not-human hands reached through, to spear a pilot through the heart.

Seto didn't hear the scream that followed. There's too much white noise blocking it out.

* * *

 **Vienna Airspace, 3500 ft.**

 **Time: 11:40 am.**

'Brava two-three-three this is Brava one-two-three, what's your current status?'

'…'

'Damn it they were just _there_ , I swear it! I… Brava two-three-three this is Brava one-two-three, are you receiving? Come _on_ Jaikana, answer me.'

'…'

'This is a stricken Kaiba Corporation Aircraft. Distortion is increasing, we… we may be losing your signal and…

'…And I don't know how well I can concentrate with those _things_ all over my window. It's not fog, Jaikana… It's sort of clinging to the glass, freezing over and breaking away. It's alive and… and we can't _see_ anything. I know it sounds crazy I know I don't I-I _swear_ I'm not taking anything. Brava two-three-three _please_ answer our signal.'

'…'

'Brava, listen to me, we _need_ landing guidance and we need it now. Brava two-three-three are you receiving me? Hello? Where the hell did you go?'

'…'

'Jaikana, _damn it,_ help me out here!'

* * *

 **Vienna International Airport Runway Twelve.**

 **Time: 11:43 am.**

Seto Kaiba was running out of patience. Which, given his current position - a slammed shut and locked cockpit door on one side of him, and Joey Wheeler's endlessly irritating face above - was understandable.

'There's no sense acting like a _fool_ , Wheeler. Don't you think I've already _tried_ to find another way?'

'So what, you're telling me that the engines are bust? We're stuck here? No way out?'

'I can _fly a plane_ , idiot. Which is just as well given we're lacking pilots now. We also lack the fuel, time, and windows to even think about taking off.' He moved to the upper left of the plane and dragged up a layer of plush carpet. There was a hatch beneath it and Kaiba pulled it open.

'Kaiba, will you _try_ to be a little _clearer_ about this, Tristan said. 'We have no idea what's happening. An' whaddya mean, _we lack the pilots_? We had one of em, last I checked!'

'Yeah, well. Now we don't.'

The shocked silence lasted the whole time it took for Kaiba to reappear from the under-floor storage unit. He dragged an industrial strength security light out of the compartment after him, shoving it across the floor; ignoring Ryou when he reached out to help.

' _Kaiba_ …' Téa murmured, realisation dawning on them that the pilot was no longer with them.

'Oh, _God_ ,' Tristan muttered.

'You're kidding, right? They can't have been… Kaiba?'

'Forget the pilots. I can fly the plane, if worst comes to worst.' Shocked silence fell from a drawn-out pause. 'Look we don't have time for this. _They're_ dead or _gone_ or... whatever those freaks are planning to do to them. But the people on that incoming plane are _not_. If my brother's amongst them, you'd better pray it stays that way, because god knows, I should've known better than to even _consider_ doing you idiots a favour like this in the first place. This wouldn't have happened if Mutou didn't owe me the duel of a lifetime!'

'I thought you said that _you_ owed him?' Mai murmured.

'Wrong Mutou! And be quiet, Valentine. Or do you go by _Wheeler_ now?'

'Oh-kay… I'm going to let that slip on this one occasion,' Mai snarled. 'Just _where_ did you get those giant lights? Actually scratch that – never mind where they came from, just tell us what you're _doing_ with them?'

'What does it look like?' He heaved the metal frame of the light up in both hands. 'The airport is pitch black, they need something to tell them where we are. Provided the emergency display cameras we installed are still working-' (and thank god the people running around with millennium items hacking into people's brains had given him _that_ idea) '-then they should have a way to see the runway from the cockpit.'

'And if they _aren't_ working?' Mai asked.

No one answered. The handle of the plane doorway stuck when Kaiba tried to open it. So he opted for delivering a front kick to it. It was kind of funny, really, how the only thing none of them were wondering about was where Kaiba learned to knock down doors like that in the first place.

Then a hand was holding him back, and with his arms weighed down by a heavy industrial floodlight trailing giant cables back into the plane, Kaiba wasn't in a position to pull away.

'Kaiba, wait, you _can't_ go out there! What good's it gonna do if you get yourself ripped to pieces?!'

'Let go of my arm or regret it, Taylor. I'm _not_ about to let my brother die in a plane crash because we _parked in a bad spot_. If it's him in that jet he's going to smash right into this craft at one hundred and thirty miles per hour. Gardner, shut the door behind me.'

Before Téa could open her mouth to answer, the airplane door was opened and Kaiba stepped out into the darkness, leaving them standing in a disturbed silence, waiting for the sounds of screaming and cries that were sort-of, yet-anything-but human. They never came. Nobody relaxed.

'Do you know, I think Kaiba _might_ be lightening up,' Ryou said. 'I mean he actually bothered to explain things to us a little before he charged out into the—'

'Not _now_ , Bakura.'

'…Sorry.'

* * *

 **Location: Vienna Airspace 2000 feet,**

 **Time: 11:43 am.**

On the bright side, at least the monsters had started to peel away from the window.

They'd been struggling with the reinforced surface for several thousand feet now. Their frozen bodies were breaking to pieces – and yet some still continued to cling with their hands and toes and hair and whatever else. It didn't make Mokuba feel any better because now he'd got to thinking about what those things could do to his brother and what he'd gotten their last good pilots into.

He was still thinking this when the pilot in question sat up yelling, his eyes fixed on the crackling screen of the monitor besides them - a viewing portal showing a clearer view of the underside of the plane, and the landing gears. The things were mostly useless, one of those many additions that Mokuba was fairly sure their planes only _had_ in order to fill up an empty space with over the top technology. But right now, it was a screen which, fortunately, was _not_ covered by hideous bodies. A screen showing a bright, flickering light several miles below and ahead of them.

'Sir, there's someone on the runway! We're being given a signal to steer several degrees right.'

Mokuba loosened his grip on the back of the pilot's chair, blinks and forced himself not to overreact.

 _Seto_.

'…Daisuke, can you control the plane at all?'

'I can try.'

* * *

 **Highway En-Route to Vienna International Airport.**

 **Time: 11:50 pm.**

Yugi Muto hated driving. Especially in the dark.

'You… you sure you're okay up there, Yami?'

'I'm fine, Yugi, keep your eyes on the road!'

This kind of explained why he's failed his test three times, (running over two garbage cans and ending up with Joey swearing never to get in a car with Yugi sitting behind the wheel _ever_ again. Which was saying something; given that Joey had experienced _Honda's_ driving.)

He was still, however, better at it than Yami.

So Yugi kept driving, even with white-grey shadows curling around the vehicle and the rather uncomfortable sensation of shadow magic, creeping around his ears like the smoke of cigars.

'Keep my eyes on the road, yeah, sure! Yami, how fast are those things _going_?

'The speed of darkness, I'd expect,' Yami called down. Yugi could sense the power crackling along his other half's body - the shards of darkness that dug into the back of his neck even when Yam was aiming the attack _away_ from him. 'Nowhere close to the speed of light but enough.'

'Aaaand this jeep has a limit of—' A bump in the road followed by a heavy swallow and Yugi has simply _no_ idea at all how Yami manages to keep his footing. '—One hundred and fifty!'

'This might be a good time to test that claim. I don't know how long I can hold them off!'

Yami's hand was visible through the skylight and Yugi could practically smell the brimstone, like something out of a hellfire, pulsing on his Other Self's fingers- the darkness of the shadows clung long and hard. They'd both be smelling sulphur for days afterwards – a sign of what Yami had gone through in his mastery of darkness.

The body of another creature collapsed against road ahead of them and Yugi would've run over it, except the body seems to have totally disintegrated by the time he got there, and the ragged remains of its clothing were snatched beneath the wheels.

'Ah! Y-Yami is it just me or was that one…?'

'Falling to pieces before it even hit the road,' Yami's voice was cold and dangerous, filled with the rage Yugi always hated to hear from his Other Self. 'Dark spirits are pushing these human bodies far beyond their limits. They use up all the body's energy and then... just step out of the carcass and leave it to rot.'

Yugi swallowed. 'And the people... they just…'

Yugi thought about the girl they'd met drawing in the town square. The guy who met them getting off the plane. The taxi driver who didn't speak Japanese and the hotel manager who did and wanted him to show her the cards in his deck. Yugi felt his eyes water just a little. His fingers gripped the wheel too tightly and one hundred and twenty miles per hour seemed to slow to a crawling space. '...It's going to kill them all, isn't it? It's really going to… All of them. They're all _gone_.'

He had to tell himself it wasn't their fault. They were just normal humans taken over and turned into shells by the darkness. None of them would remember the moment their lives ended. It wasn't _them_ trying to kill Yugi and his other –it wasn't _their_ shadows wearing him down. They were just lost bodies, soon to be lost souls and…

And Yugi just couldn't blame them for that, no matter if they were currently trying to kill him. They didn't know what they're doing. It was _humans_ his other was currently taking apart with blasts of shadow magic, and they didn't deserve to be destroyed that way…

Yami knew it too. No wonder Yugi could feel so much guilt and anger pulsing against their soul-link.

The next attack came from the front.

It took Yami -facing behind them, to take out the creatures chasing them down- by surprise and their screams sent him jolting into the jeep's glass rooftop. The already splintered glass of the front broke further beneath the pressure and Yugi felt the pane shatter, the shards glancing off the inside of the windshield. 'Yami!'

'Yugi! Stay down!'

The warning wasn't heeded, because there was no way Yugi _could_ get down. Yami's leg glanced against his shoulder far-too-hard and he could practically feel the claws of the beasts overhead, scraping across his others cheek. He could feel them, _hear_ them too, the shock waves of the creatures attack. The shock sent both of Yugi's hands flying from the steering wheel. Overhead, he heard Yami yelling but couldn't quite make out what he was saying.

 _It's not their—_

His eyes weren't on the road any longer.

— _Fault._

And a few seconds later, neither was the vehicle.


	7. Chapter Six - Cleared for Landing

**Chapter Six - Cleared for Landing.**

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport, Kaiba Corporation Jet Brava Two-Three-Three.**

 **Time: 11:46 am.**

'…Holy crap.'

'You said that, Joey,' Téa swallowed. 'You said it _three times_ , in fact; we get the picture.'

'Did he just… he actually _went out there_ , didn't he?' Bakura was blinking in disbelief out of the windows. 'And with a giant industrial light...why...'

'They're going to kill him! They'll be on him like a freaking _plague_. I tell you, Kaiba's lost it!'

'What else could he _do_? It's his _brother_ out there and Kaiba's a jerk, but that kid is his world.'

'He's still an idiot.'

'Idiot with an IQ of one-hundred and seventy-five.'

'He just ran into a _death trap_!'

'Yeah.'

'Isn't that supposed to be Yugi's job?'

'…I think it's supposed to be _our_ job,' Téa murmured. 'But only _after_ Yugi goes first.'

'Well, yeah. That too.'

The silence hung for a long second, cold and uncomfortable. Outside, Joey could hear Kaiba running as well as you can when you're carrying a floodlight, but not the sound of freaks and demons tearing him to pieces. Which was good, really.

…A brother running to save his family.

Well, damn it. Joey couldn't turn his back on that.

'Yeah. We're going out there, aren't we?' he muttered.

'…Guess we still owe him for the ride.' Tristan's expression was half smile, half grimace, as he lifted another massive excuse for a flashlight in one hand and the gun Kaiba gave him in the other. Behind him, Téa was pulling out a airplane serving tray, possibly to use as a makeshift shield. 'So let's go gettem already!'

And with that single, half insane statement, they followed Kaiba into the darkness.

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport Runway Twelve.**

 **Time:11:47 am.**

Kaiba figured it was a good sign when he didn't immediately lose an arm to creatures that could smash through an airplane's windshield, the second he stepped out into the darkness and shone the beam at where their "faces" should be.

He saw a couple, darting away from the light. The pattern was familiar to other darkness manifestations he had see in his time knowing Yami. They were an external contradiction, Yami always said. Drawn to the light but repulsed by it at the same time. Like moths drawn towards a flame.

The silence, however, wasn't so good. He knew better than to assume it was. Just as he knew better than to listen to the idiots inside the plane telling him to get back inside and find some other way out of this.

Because Kaiba knew there _was_ no other way. The only way to prevent the incoming plane from colliding with their own was to provide some kind of manual direction. He was not going to let his brother die. Not because _he_ went and parked in the wrong freaking runway.

He half-saw the monsters all around him (and heard them, too, like a crowd of sirens), but he didn't see them attack. They ignored the plane, but they were watching _him_ as he ran, as if they aren't quite sure what to do. Their voices were everywhere, muttering and crying and sobbing and shrieking but for some reason, they didn't attack. He could feel their breath like a rotten field of dying fruit. But they didn't move in for the kill, not now, in the darkness.

The darkness around him _hurt_ –it _always_ hurt, and he couldn't deny that, even as often as he once _tried_ to deny the existence of magic causing pain. He knew how powerful the darkness was and how it hurt some people more than others. It was all to do with your soul, Yami claimed. Seto knew he could take it, yet his eyes still ached for the industrial strength torch he was going to use to save his brother.

Kaiba kept running, and as he ran, he calculated the best position to stand. It would take the flight to about 1000 before the torch beam was powerful enough for the incoming aircraft to see it. The best location was over eighty feet away from his own plane. Too far to make a run for it back, if the creatures decided to go for him, but he didn't care about that.

If he got out of this alive (or if his younger brother didn't), he was going to kill Yami Mutou ten times over before he hit the ground.

Seto Kaiba knew that there were several ways to fight a battle. The first involved running: fuck that, he'd never run from anything in his life. Running away (leaving Mokuba to die) was simply _not_ an option.

The second option was brute force. Utilise strength in numbers. If your Elf Megami was weak, bring out another two, set yourself some traps and sit out the round. Merge Blue Eyes' and form an unstoppable ultimate. Hell, even the Dark Magician Girl could beat down a few good monsters, when equipped with a Magic Spellbook. Depending on circumstances, Seto Kaiba _could_ use that kind of methodology.

But he'd still seen Blue Eyes beaten and Exodia crushed and so many powerful (magical?) cards turned to dust _despite_ their high AP. He knew that violence didn't always work. You couldn't always beat your enemies into submission with pure force, and you sure as _hell_ couldn't beat down a jet.

The third option was to think your way out of it. Attack their pride as much as their hand. Manipulate their weakness. Confuse them with words. Let them see how powerful and confident you were before you'd even begun, so they could see that they'd already lost.

These creatures were attracted to light and heat, and they also yearned to destroy it the second it appeared. That was how creatures like this _worked_. He knew they would attack soon. He also knew that this would _probably_ happen the second he raises the industrial torch to the sky and turned on the beam.

And he knew what Yugi Mutou's friends would do when that happened. Most specifically, what they would do for him. Because even though he would not -could not- ask them for help, they would do whatever Yugi thought was best.

Well, so be it.

The monsters gathered and chittered in the darkness. Somewhere in the distance, an airplane was whirring, and Kaiba turned on the beam.

* * *

 **Vienna Airspace 1500 feet,**

 **Time: 1** **2:00 pm.**

There was a picture over the dashboard.

It was of two little girls, one not much younger than Mokuba and the other only nine or ten. The pilot's daughters, or something. Mokuba never noticed it before, but he saw it now.

Funny, the things you noticed when you were falling to your death in the direction of a single, beaming light that barely registered on your radar.

'Current altitude is one-thousand five hundred feet. Descending rapidly.'

Still, it couldn't possibly get any worse…

'...Oh boy. Sir I…'

Okay, maybe he was about to stand corrected. 'What is it?'

'It's- the left wheel, sir –it won't eject. Those things must've damaged the landing mechanism.'

Oh. And isn't _that_ like something straight out of a movie. The co-pilot swears but Mokuba barely heard him. His throat felt as dry as a bone and he was trying not to let himself tremble. After all, his brother wouldn't. His legs feel like they're turning into wooden tapers, about to snap any second.

'Can… you make that runway with just one wheel? Without autopilot?' Mokuba tried not to let disbelief creep into his voice.

'I... don't really have a choice in the matter, do I, sir?'

It wasn't the way employees usually spoke to him. Normally they treat him just like they did his brother and would never think of sounding rude or angry, in case they upset the best paying employer this side of the continent. Sweat was beading on the pilot's forehead and when Mokuba looked at him, he saw…

He saw a frightened man who was probably thinking about those little girls in the picture over the dashboard.

'Yeah… Um, hey, what's your name again?'

The pilot blinked in surprise. '...Minowa. Minowa Daisuke, sir. And the girls in the picture you're looking at are Ai and Madoka. They're thirteen and seven.' He added without being asked. Mokuba realised with embarrassment that he was staring at the picture. The co pilot glimpsed over but didn't speak. His face was pale as bone and in the doorway behind them, Marcus didn't say a word. The pilot –Daisuke– smiled a little. 'Ai is nearly your age, isn't she? I'd love to see _her_ running a company. She can hardly wash the dishes without complaining. She'll be alright, though. She's strong and… and that matters. It's what you need to be in a world like this. Strong and gentle.'

'...At the same time?'

'Of course.'

The plane rocked on the last trails of turbulence and suddenly, Mokuba really _did_ feel like a kid. He remembered being in the locked room beneath Castle Pegasus, feeling nothing but cold gravel beneath his hands and stone against his back. There but not there, all at once. Just like then, he realised. Right now, he felt _just_ the way he did in that dungeon. Just a silly, childish, stupid teenager who had gotten good people, not to mention himself, into one hell of a mess.

'…I guess you're right.' Mokuba said uneasily, and then he added. 'There isn't any choice.'

But he'd gotten people out of messes before, right? He'd _seen_ hell, and it only looked a little bit like took a bretah.

'Let me work. I'll get us down, sir. I promise.'

Mokua opened his mouth to protest but the plane was shaking from tip to toe. Marcus had a and on Mokuba's arm, and suddenly, he was pulling him out of the cockpit, back to the chair and seatbelts. He looked fully ready to throw himself over Mokuba like a living shield if he had to. Mokuba found himself wondering what he had done to deserve that.

'Seatbelts on, everyone,' said the croaking voice of the co-pilot through the radio. 'Put your heads down.'

Mokuba repeated the names Ai and Madoka Daisuke in his mind as the plane shook.

* * *

 **Vienna International Airport Runway Twelve.**

 **Time: 12:05 am.**

Joey Wheeler has experienced a lot of "scream for Yugi" moments in his life.

This was kind of weird, given that Yugi has been only five foot two when they left high school and couldn't survive a fist fight anymore than Joey could a maths seminar, but that didn't change the fact that for most of the last five years, they had looked to Yugi whenever they were in trouble. Even when Yami... returned, or was reborn or whatever had actually happened, it was Yugi they all looked to for explanations and answers and comprehension.

And this, Joey figured, definitely counted as a "scream for Yugi" moment.

There were hundreds of the creatures out there. They hadn't stopped coming since Kaiba turned the light on, and when Joey looked up, he could see them in their masses filling the sky. Broken bones hanging and white hair flying, like thousands of moths, dancing round a flame. Except that moths didn't _drift_ like that –they fluttered and flapped and generally went nuts until they fell into the fire and killed themselves.

The freaks were beginning to tear at Mai's hair no matter how much she beat at them –small freaks, or rather the remains of them, (and Joey wasn't even going to think about what caused them to fall apart). She swing at them with her fists, and yet they still keep coming with whatever flesh and bones they still had. It wa simply too gross to think about, and even grosser to fight. They _were_ dead and yet they kept on coming.

But Tristan and Kaiba were still standing steady, industrial strength torches held above their heads. Mai was shielding Téa with her arms. Bakura was…

Joey's head twisted around desperately, seeing nothing. _Ryou! Where_ -

Kaiba wasn't doing much - just standing there holding up the light with his teeth grit together ignoring any claws that were trying to get to him. And up in the sky, far beyond the screams of monsters. Joey could hear the drone of an aircraft, coming closer and closer with living people on board. Living people who might die if any of them on the ground gave up for a second. If so much as a single one of these thousands of freaks was able to take Tristan or Kaiba down.

Great. No pressure.

He slamming one of them in the face with a serving tray and tried not to think about the creatures ripping at his flesh as once just being _humans_ , even though it was obvious. Every now and then he'd catch a glimpse of a baseball cap or a jacket's insignia or a ribbon tied in once beautiful hair. They were all human, no doubt about it, and now…

Now they were just _not_.

He needs to know what _happened_ here, and what could be happening to _Yugi_ , but right now, he didn't have time for wondering. Right now, as insane as it might sound, he has to protect _Kaiba_.

Téa screeches and Joey hears a spark crack as she fired a taser at a monster attacking. Through the corner of his eyes, he could see her crying. Not in fear -he knew her too well for that. She'd seen worse than this. She was crying at the thought of what she was doing –what she _has_ to do– to keep them away.

Suddenly, one of the monsters came sweeping towards him through the blackness, highlighted freakishly in the glare of an industrial light. It hit like a heavyweight champion. he felt its breath burning and a heavy weight crushing his chest. Before Joey knew it, he was on his knees and Téa was crying out, and Tristan was cussing and then…

Then the world turned white.

Joey only thought he was dead for a fraction of a the light started to move - shifting away from the group and reforming around a shape in front of him. A third blinding white light lancing out between Kaiba and Tristan's own industrial strength torches.

Except this one wasn't a torch.

All of a sudden the hold of the creature loosened and something –something _weird_ – seemed to rip away the shadows that were clawing at Joey's face. He heard Téa gasping and Mai begining a swearword that she never finished.

Joey heard the faintest of half chuckles, and recognized who it belonged to.

'Ryou?'

And there Ryou was, standing in front of them as if caught in a light wind. A wall of creatures was before him, unmoving. His eyes were bright and glowing in the darkness - _literally_ glowing, Joey realised. 'Three's my lucky number,' Ryou murmured through the light. He sounded. uneasy. Almost _embarrassed_. And then things whited out again, before Joey could even begin to ask just what the hell is going on.

For several seconds, all that he could hear was the painful scream of the monsters.

Bakura Ryou was very confused.

One minute the monsters were everywhere as he ran from the plane to join the others, closing in like an unstoppable blanket of white on the light they carried, and then, suddenly, there was nothing _but_ light all around him. Ryou can feel the cold metal of the torch he held in both hands, but asides from that; he didn't feel or see much else.

He didn't _hurt_ , exactly, though he could feel the grey light trembling and slicing and echoing throughout his skin, and hear the chuckle that came from beyond it.

 **'** _ **Host. Don't struggle, you're making it**_ **worse** _ **.'**_

Ryou blinked. There was a familiar tickle in the back of his brain - fainter and more distant than usual, but there all the same. _'Are… are you—'_

 _ **'Who do you**_ **think** _ **it is? Is there anyone**_ **else** _ **who can attach to your soul when you run off**_ **halfway round the world** _ **like this? Not that it's**_ **easy** _ **mind you. You must be close to a lot of shadows right now.'**_

It was the same tone as the voice-in-his-head had been, all those years ago before he truly understood who and what it belonged to. Ryou feels his ribcage tighten.

 _ **'Idiot you are, for leaving me behind. You should have**_ **realised** _ **you'd need me. Do you have any ideas where I**_ **am** _ **right now? I'll give you a clue – it's**_ **not close enough** _ **!'**_

Ryou forced himself to take a breath. His lungs felt hot and a familiar sensation was curling in the back of his mind –the feeling of another consciousness, trying to creep in on his own.

But how could that be, with his other self in a separate body all the way back in Japan?

 _ **'**_ _ **Oh, little Ryou, after all these**_ **years** _ **you**_ **still** _ **have no idea where my powers can take me, do you? There is**_ **nowhere** _ **in this world where I can't get to you. At least not in your mind. But it takes time –time we don't have, so you're going to have to focus if you plan on getting out of this mess... whatever it is.'**_

Ryou glanced at his free hand - light was training through his veins like glowing fungus. _'It… it's you aren't you? You're_ doing _this to me.'_

 _ **'Actually no. This is**_ **your** _ **doing, I'm just helping out a little. Now, shut up. There's too big a gap between us, it's hard to keep talking to you as it is.'**_

 _'You promised you_ wouldn't _, Bakura, I…'_

 _ **'Shut up. It's this or die, and I doubt you could handle it on your own. But you knowhow to do it, don't you? The power is right there in front of you, like an unlocked door... And since you clearly don't have the courage to knock, I'll have to smash it down for you.'**_

Bakura opened his mouth to ask what that meant, but the question had no time to form. Before he knew it the light had spread, creeping up and down his arms, stained grey by the darkness of the bodies around them. He could hear his own blood beating in his ears, and in the background Yami Bakura's faint, cruel laughter.

 _'What are you… what are_ we _doing?'_

 _ **'Saving you and your little friends hides, Surface. Now**_ **focus** _ **.'**_

Ryou did as he was told. The light crept in fingers down his arms, brighter and brighter. He looked up. Outside of his own, deep, grey glow, he could make out two other powerful lights beaming up into the darkness, attracting the monsters all around them, like horses running into a burning barn.

* * *

 **Location: Highway Shoulder, En-Route to Vienna International Airport.**

 **Time: 11:49 pm.**

'...Yugi?'

If the shadow magic had made him feel bad before, Yugi thought, he would gladly take that pain _back_ now, in exchange for taking _this_ away.

'Partner? Yugi, _please_ , look at me.'

…He didn't really _want_ to look. Looking would involve opening his eyes and he had the feeling that was going to _hurt_. Plus, there was something damp caking his eyelids and covering his top lip. He knew it was going to taste like blood.

 _ **'Yugi**_!'

Still, it was hard to ignore a request from a onetime pharaoh. So Yugi looked. It _did_ hurt, though not as much as he'd feared it might. Yami was looking down at him, his face a little blurry at first, but soon clearing as Yugi blinked away the stickiness. There was blood on _his_ face too, Yugi realised, But Yami hadn't seemed to notice. '...Ow.'

Yami let out a breath of relief. 'Thank the Gods.'

Yugi waited a couple of seconds, concentrating on the feel of Yami's hand on his cheek and the soft, labouring of both of their breathing. Then he remembered the crash.

'… Yami? How come we're not dead?'

'Technically I _was already_ dead. We just pulled a few strings.'

'Strings?'

Yami smiled. 'Yes. Metaphysical ones made of shadows and darkness, but strings nonetheless. I think it pretty much saved our lives, but the vehicle is a write off.'

Yugi wasn't going to bother working out the meaning in those words... they were at least twelve feet away from the wreckage of the car though, and there was no _way_ they could have been thrown that far and survived via normal means. 'So… so we won't be giving the jeep back?'

The answering laugh was so quiet Yugi could barely hear it. 'I can't think how we'd pay for the damage.'

'I _told_ you my driving is terrible,' Yugi muttered. He knew the shadows were getting stronger and car crashes _really_ didn't help. Once over, he would have been dead by now, but being close to Yami eased the pressure a little. He felt the ground beneath him –rass. They must have shot well clear of the road. He couldn't _see_ the wreckage of the jeep that he knew must be there, but he could hear the ticking of its still warm engine. 'I… I'm alright. We need to _move_ , Yami.'

'In a little while. I want to make sure you're not badly…'

Sitting up was _not_ a good idea and before Yugi knew it, he was shuddering with pain, but somehow managing not to cry out. Not that it mattered. Yami could easily hear him screaming in his head. His head felt like it'd been smashed in with a hammer. Or several hammers all at once.

'…Hurt. Never mind.'

Yugi let Yami take his weight for a moment. The muscles of his jaw tweaked with small flares of pain.

'All those spirits... Where did they go?'

'I sent them away.'

'How? All in one go?'

'Yes. It's complicated. I doubt I could do it again. I'm not even sure how I did it this time. Instinct, I suppose.'

Yami's tone was soft and dangerous (to everything that wasn't Yugi) and Yugi decided that he didn't actually want to know how Yami had "sent the spirits away". He didn't always know how to handle Yami when the shadows had been stirring to his command. But looking at Yami's face he seemed... tired. His cheeks were hollow, and his eyes were darker than Yugi remembered them being. 'Other Me?'

'May the humans forgive me, but they should _not_ have hurt you.'

Yugi shivered a little, understanding what Yami meant. Those creatures had been human bodies and will combined with supernatural power. For Yami to have destroyed them all, here and now would've taken a lot of effort. The kind of power he hadn't seen his Other Half unleash for a long time. Mostly because it took such a large amount of effort and power to do it. Yugi didn't want to think about what Yami must have unleashed or what it must have done to them...

But now Yami didn't seem half as frightening or dangerous as he really was. Now he was holding onto Yugi as gently as he could and refusing to let go, whether or not Yugi needed him to be there. There was no trace of power or violence, other than the faint, iron like smell of the shadows Yugi could still sense on his Other's skin.

After a few minutes, Yami signalled ahead of them. 'Look, partner. We're almost there.'

In the distance stood a large dark shape in the landscape, almost completely black.

'Yeah. That must be the airport.'

'Do you think you can walk?'

'Just try and stop me,' Yugi was already halfway to his feet. Amazingly, nothing felt broken or even badly damaged. Most of the pain came from the shadows that had been pulsing at his mind since this whole mess started. It confused him slightly, when he realised that it really _had_ been there for that long. That he was feeling the growing, nervous pressure of Shadows long before he first saw them on the streets of Vienna.

Yugi looked up into a starless sky –and then, he saw it. A glimmer of light drifting through the darkness, dropping rapidly towards the shape that was the airport.

'Yami, you see that?'

The way Yami was clinging to his shoulder again suggested he did, and his small nod confirmed it. For a while they stood there in silence, watching the falling light in the sky.

'I think… that might be a _plane_.'

* * *

 **Location: Cairo International Airport Boarding Gateway 23,**

 **Time: 01:25 am.**

It was quite remarkable, when she thought about it.

They had been stood at a boarding gate for at least thirty-five minutes, and the security guards were _still_ finding enough metal on Marik's person to set off the alarms. As she watched, a gold chain and several cuffs landed in the inspection tray, along with the dozen or so pieces Marik had already discarded.

Marik sighed. 'Oh my gods, are you quite done already?'

'It's our job to be as thorough as possible, sir,' A security guard bid him to remove his earrings. How strange, that they hadn't noticed _them_ first. 'Please keep your arms away from your sides.'

'Brother, you did not have to conceal…' (Another clatter, a silver chain fell into the tray.) '…Such a large quantity of metal on your person. No wonder suspicions were aroused.'

'How was _I_ to know? The last time I came through one of these places they didn't _stop_ me for such ridiculous things! Can't you use your Board of Director privileges to help me avoid the… watch it!'

 _'Former_ Board Director, Marik.'

Ishizu bit her tongue, knowing it would not be a good time to mention that the reason her brother had found it so easy to get on board of an aircraft last time, was because he'd snuck on as a stowaway via mind controlling the pilots. It was a time in their lives she'd really rather forget.

Marik did not do well around people, she acknowledged, and likely never would. His childhood had been too… complicated for that.

Still he could've at least had the sense not to wear so much jewellery before entering an airport.

Another clatter. 'Oh come _on_ , that can't possibly be made of metal!'

Ishizu waits, and continues to be patient. Sooner or later, they were bound to run out. She just hoped their plane hadn't boarded by then

'I spoke with a young woman from Europe in the book store,' Odion said to her softly as Marik complained. 'She cannot return home for fear of what has happened. There are no longer _any_ flights to that area.'

'I understand that.'

'…Then why do we do this?' Odion looked confused.

'Because England is the only location possible we _can_ still get to, and besides…' she hesitated. Odion blinked.

'You sense something from that region, sister?' He uses the name so rarely with her, it almost made her smile, even now, in the midst of everything.

'...I don't think my instincts are quite as powerful as the Pharaohs. But... Something along those lines, Odion. Gut instinct is perhaps all I have to rely on now. Let us hope they can hold out alone. They have always managed before.'

Odion nodded. Understanding, as always.

'Hey, hang on, what's _this_?'

'Oh… oh, damn it.'

The security guard behind them coughed and when Ishizu looked to see that he was holding a _penknife_ belonging to her brother up to the light. Odion visibly bit his tongue.

Wonderful.

'Uh, yeah, okay, so I forgot about that and… there's a perfectly good explanation for it.'

('Ah-huh. Sir, we'll be needing you all to step this way, please.')


	8. Chapter Seven - Karma

Chapter Seven - Karma.

* * *

 _"No, you idiot, I mean the airport's bad kharma!" said Jounouchi, waving at their surroundings. "Think about it! Every time we've been anywhere near an airport, we're always just coming back from a life or death situation or we're about to start one. This is seriously tempting fate."_

– Jounouchi Katsuya, LeDiz's " _Homecomings_."

* * *

 **Location:** **Vienna Airspace 1500 feet,**

 **Time: 12:01 pm**

Mokuba Kaiba was looking down into something his mind could only compare to an atom blast.

At least, that was what it _looked_ like. He'd seen them in videos, and he knew how bad the effects were.

'Okay, we may be in more trouble than we thought,' the pilot could be heard saying through the cockpit door. All traces of formality and seriousness were gone, and Mokuba found himself feeling more and more guilty about what he was paying these people to do.

Still, no sense in worrying now, though. Not when they were so close.

They all knew it. They'd known it since the webs had appeared on the windows. The monsters were mostly gone now, with just a few… _tatters_ (ew) clinging to the glass. But Mokuba knew they were still around because when he looked into the light beam, down on the ground before, he could see them, flitting and crowding around it. Like flecks of dust, so far away.

'I don't… I don't think it's what it _looks_ like sir. There aren't any shock waves or smoke, it's just…'

'Light,' Mokuba breathed as he realised what Marcus meant. And then he leaned as far as he could, trying to get a good glimpse of the light source glaring far below them. He realised it wasn't so much white light as it was _grey_ –still hard to look at, but not nearly as pure as he'd thought it was.

Whatever it was, they were flying right into it, and Mokuba didn't know if that made their situation better or worse than it was a few minutes ago.

Mokuba's hand crept to the pendant around his neck.

 _'Wait for me.'_

* * *

 **Location: Highway Shoulder, En-Route to Vienna International Airport.**

 **Time: 12:29**

The most disturbing thing about all of this was the fact that he should honestly be dead by now. If it weren't for his link with Yami, strengthening the bond between their souls, Yugi has no doubt that he'd probably be a goner in a couple of days, max.

But Yami was not about to let that happen. Stubborn Yugi or no stubborn Yugi.

'You shouldn't be walking.'

'No,' he mumbled the words without meaning to. 'I should be _running_ , but I think that might be a little too much..'

'Yugi, this _isn't_ funny.'

'I know. I'm the one with concussion.'

He had Yami supporting him, so it was okay. He wasn't going to fall, no matter how much the shadows pounded. The pain had lessened since Yami blew the creatures away and since Yugi started feeling… 'Our friends… Yami, they're _here_. You feel it too, right?'

'Yes…'

Urgh. Damn it. He hated Shadows sometimes.

'…You know, in all honesty, the jeep was _your_ fault. You were the one driving.'

A semi-laugh was all Yugi could muster.

He took another step. Still hurting. Still stabbing, but it was easier this time, and he knew it'd keep getting easier with every step. He wasn't going to stop. Not now, not when he could feel their friends' presence, so close by. He knew that Yami could feel it too; that was why was _allowing_ Yugi to move (albeit with one arm slung over Yami's shoulder and Yami's arm around his back). 'It was _definitely_ a plane. It must have landed.' Yugi said. It finally felt like they were getting somewhere.

So when he felt Yami hesitate, he knew it could only mean trouble.

'...Yami?'

'Uh. Yugi, as much as I hate to be…'

'…The bearer of bad news,' Yugi finished in a mutter. 'What is it?'

'Look behind you.'

Yugi looked.

And a few moments later, he wished he hadn't.

* * *

 **Location: Cairo International Airport Secure Interview Room**

 **Time: 1:40 am.**

 _'...and Reports from our closest observation crew report little to no change in the cloud formations now spreading across a large percentage of the European skyline. Our camera crews at the border of…'_

'Do you think you could turn that up, please?'

'…What?'

'The radio,' Marik repeated, much to Ishizu's aggravation. 'Could you turn it up?'

'...I hardly think you're in a position to be making demands of security, Mister...?'

'Marik. And it wasn't a demand, okay? I just want to hear the radio. It could be important.'

'Where you are _now_ is important, Mister Ishtar. Do you not _understand_ this situation?'

'Please, sir, my brother means no disrespect. He's not well-hearsed in… interpersonal relations. How much longer are we expected to be here?'

The officer - a security guard with ideas far above his actual job requirements, Ishizu thought, was leaning back in his chair and smirking at her brother in a way Ishizu knew was going to lead to trouble. It wasn't entirely his fault, she knew. Everyone in the room with them felt... tense. With the state the world was in, it only made sense that people would be on edge. 'That's up to me, I think. You tried to conceal an offensive weapon on an aircraft...'

'I didn't try to conceal anything! I just forgot it was there!'

'In a hidden pocket? Halfway down your pants leg?"

'I have a lot of pockets like that!'

'Oh I'm sure you do, Mister Ishtar.'

'There's no need to speak to us as if you're threatening us, sir,' Ishizu said coldly. 'I'm perfectly aware of what you're doing. My brother, as it happens, has nothing to _say_. As I have tried to tell you time and again, this is all just a misunderstanding.'

Marik leant back in his chair. 'So. You gonna turn the radio up now, or what?'

'Oh be quiet,' the security guard (or police officer, it was difficult to tell) slammed his fist on the desk before them, Ishizu felt her insides start slightly but Marik made no reaction other than a quick roll of his eyes. 'This is serious business! In case you hadn't noticed you're in deep shit! And here you are asking for the _radio_ to be turned up?!'

'Oh we will be in deep, _sir._ But only if we miss our _plane_ ,' Marik snaps.

'Nobody is getting on any plane until we get to the bottom of this!' the guard snapped. 'And I'm not in the habit of being pushed around by a mere _child_ who has an obsession with sharp objects. '

And with those words, all hopes Ishizu had of her brother keeping his composure fly right out of the ventilation shaft.

'Oh, for the sake of the Gods, we don't have _time_ for this,' Marik mutters. And before Ishizu could say a word, Marik was reaching for his belt.

Ishizu felt her whole body tense on impulse and the same happened to their security guard. She saw a flash of metal glistening at her brother's belt, a flash of plastic in the security guards hand and... how in the name of the gods had Marik managed to hide that thing on-

The whole exchange took less than a second, and then everything went bright.

* * *

 **Location: The Black Crown Game Store second floor flat.**

 **Time: 07:00 am.**

Duke Devlin was placing a call to Norway.

Actually, scratch that. He'd been _trying_ to place a call to Norway for the last _six hours_. He had gotten up at _midnight_ to do so. The problem with being an international businessman was that sometimes, you had to interact with people on their terms- and their times-zones. Which meant placing a call to Europe at midnight. Now he was just drinking coffee and gradually losing his will to live. Mostly because he kept getting told they were "experiencing network congestion and could you please try again later".

It clearly wasn't going to happen. A major corporate deal with England that he stayed up into the small hours to deal with, and he couldn't even get a _call_ through.

Duke turned to the television. It was the same thing on every channel. Duke wasn't sure what was going on (he had the TV on mute) but whatever it was, it must've been big to warrant taking over every station like this. Whatever was happening in Europe, he realised, it was entirely likely that the people he was supposed to be talking to had better things to do with their time.

But hey, business was business.

The phone rang as soon as he put it down.

'Damn it... Hello Black Crown Gaming services how may I—'

' _Oh thank goodness you're there_!'

Instinct allowed Duke to pull the phone away from his ear at least a fraction of a second before he was deafened by the virtual _scream_ on the other side. Actually, it was not so much that the caller was actually screaming as it was the fact that there was enough static on the line to make it sound as if she was calling in the middle of a lightning storm, while talking through a paper bag. _'D-Duke? Duke Devlin? T-that is you isn't it? It's Serenity!'_

…Wait, Serenity? Serenity _Wheeler_?'

 _'Yes! Sorry, do... do you remember me?''_

Did he remember _her_? Ha. How could he ever _forget_?

 _'S-sorry about all the noise; this is a payphone, my credit ran out and… oh, I'm so glad someone picked up, I was so worried!'_

Wow. Okay. Cute girl calling at a really late hour of the night while her brother wasn't present… Apparently worried. This was certainly _better_ than calling Norway. Still, first things first. 'Uh… hey. Wait, isn't it kind of late?'

 _'Y-yes. I've been calling_ everyone _trying to_ get through.'

'Everyone?'

 _'Yes,'_ she sounded calmer, her voice still broken by static. _'My brother, and Yugi, and Tristan, I even found Téa's number but… but_ nothing _, and then I saw the news, you see, and… well. I figured...'_

She figured. Sure she figured. Trouble with darkness equalled her brother being involved in some way. _That_ didn't take a genius to work out.

Serenity let out a breath she seemed to have been holding. _'It's just no matter who I called, they never answered. Except for the Game shop and then Mister Muto said Yugi wasn't_ there, _that he was in_ Europe, _and then there's the_ news _and then I figured I-I wasn't going to get anywhere by worrying, so I tried to sleep but… but then...'_

She fell silent. 'Yeah?' Duke encouraged. 'Then what? Take a deep breath, 'Ren.'

 _'…You'll think it's silly.'_

Duke's lips twitched into a smile. 'Why don't you try me? I might surprise you.'

There was silence on the phone for a few seconds before a quiet voice says: ' _I… dreamed something.'_

Duke blinked.

 _' I-it sounds silly, Duke, but… you've seen how strange things can get when my brother's involved, haven't you? I saw all these white creatures and-and blood and a falling plane and… I just want them to be_ saf _e'_

'Hey, hey, it's okay, Serenity.'

 _'No! No it's not, Duke! Something is happening, and my brother and his friends are right in the middle of it! I know it sounds crazy but...'_

So. Duke did some quick mental arithmetic. Chaos in Europe. Strange Dreams. Phone lines not working, and the entirety of the "gang" uncontactable via phone. Duke was a logical guy. He made the connection fairly quickly.

'Look, Serenity…' He didn't mean to interrupt her, (you never interrupted a lady after all) but even as he listened to her, he was looking at the television and seeing all hell break loose via the cameras hovering near the edge of the chaos growing somewhere near the country of Duke's call placement. 'I _believe_ you. Trust me; I'm watching the news _right_ now. If you're going crazy then so am I.'

The voice on the line sniffled a bit. _'Duke, I have no idea what's going on.'_

Duke swallows hard. 'Well I… might be able to provide a few clues there. Where are you right now?

 _'Oh… I'm in Oware City. That's where we're staying, with an aunt. S-she lives in District Three…'_

Duke took a moment to weigh some figures in his head.

The possibility of getting his call to Norway through and sealing a really, really big deal with the European Gaming Committee to host Dungeon Dice at their next convention... Versus driving two hours to get to the house of a girl who's brother would probably murder him on sight if he knew about it.

'…Tell you what, 'Ren, I'll come over.'

The line is silent for a second, before a quiet. _'But Duke you're in…'_

' Tokyo? Yeah, I know. I can get there in a couple of hours if you can just sit tight. We can be there in spirit, if nothing else, right?'

 _'…Okay. Thank you Duke, I'm sorry to be a bother. '_

'Hey, for you? It's no bother at all.'

 _'Okay I… thank you, I just… thanks.'_

As soon as she hangs up, Duke starts to feel a numbness crawling through his fingers, remembering a story he once heard when he was little, about how blind people saw things others couldn't. Maybe that applied to the _no-longer-blind_ , too.

Whatever the case he was soon grabbing his coat and making a beeline for the room where he left his car keys. All the while muttering: 'Man, Yugi, not _again_ ,' and wondering whether or not he should actually be thanking the guy.

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport Runway.**

 **Time: 12:20 pm.**

Bakura couldn't feel the palms of his hands.

…That was about it, really. The rest of him still felt okay. He was breathing and blinking, and as far as he was aware, still standing up, despite that fact a few seconds ago (if it actually _was_ just a few seconds) the pressure building in his head had made him feel like he was going to pass out. He could _hear_ Yami-Bakura's laughter all the time, louder and louder as the grey light grew stronger.

Then the white glare was gone. Just like that. And Bakura was left staring at his friends. Joey clutching Mai's wrist as he helped her to stand up. Téa catching her breath in short, sharp gasps and Kaiba…

…Kaiba was actually still standing _exactly_ where he had been a few moments ago, with the industrial torch held high above his head and his expression unyielding; eyes fixed on the sky like a statue. Bakura wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't even _flinched_.

'They're… gone,' Téa whispered shakily. She was right. the monsters that had been attacking… all of them had vanished, nothing remained but white scraps of what Bakura thought (hoped) was clothing and the occasional severed fragment of what it was pretty impossible to deny was flesh and bone. Otherwise the runway was empty and clear of all monsters.

 _'Yami-Bakura… what did you_ do _?'_

The next person to speak was Tristan. '… Bakura, what the _fuck_ did you just…?'

Bakura opened his mouth to answer but no sound comes out.

'Ask later,' Kaiba suddenly says, without actually turning to look at f them. His eyes were watering but he certainly wasn't crying so that meant he hasn't _blinked_ for a while, not even when the glare of light covered _everything_ and Bakura couldn't keep his eyes open. The air was filled with the throbbing hum. 'In case you hadn't noticed… _incoming aircraft_.'

Tristan and Joey seemed to regain their footing and both hoisted the two other torches back into the air. Apparently, the plane hadn't hit the runway yet, but it was so close that Bakura could hear the engines screaming and, when he looked up, the lights glaring.

It was coming in fast. Fast enough that Bakura couldn't tell its exact direction, or whether it had shifted its path enough to not collide with their own stalled aircraft sitting on the runway. He staggered a few steps backwards and then Téa grabbed hold of his wrist to pull him to the side of the runway.

'Bakura… come on! We can't stand there!'

Bakura didn't argue. But he could hear Joey swearing and Tristan yelling something about speed and distance, and then he _knew_ the plane was coming in too fast. He could feel Téa clutching his hand perhaps tighter than she had to as they ran aside, and, without really meaning to, Bakura held his breath.

* * *

 **Location: Highway Shoulder, En-Route to Vienna International Airport.**

 **Time: 12:30 pm**

The gathered shadow creatures -who from this angle, looked like nothing more than one time humans twisted and bleached into melting ghosts- observed Yami and Yugi from a short distance away without attacking.

There weren't nearly as many of them hanging around as there had been. Yami's attack had torn most of them to shreds, but not these few... these stayed, their not-eyes locked on the two people before them. It was likely that these few were stronger ones, Yami thought. Strays, which were still more human than monster and so somehow managed to have the willpower to survive being blasted to shreds by whatever he just threw at them. Yami counted a grand total of four, crawling around the shrubbery at the roadside.

They looked more like humans than ever. Bones jutting out at disturbing angles and faint coloured hair around their clear, white eyes. One of them still had a damn _necklace_.

'Tristan's movies,' Yami mutters, and Yugi really knews what he meant.

'So... what exactly do we do?' he murmured.

'We can't run…'

'No,' Yugi conceded. 'But I don't think blowing them up is an option either, is it?'

Yami's silence told him the answer to that question was yes, though he could see hands clenching into fists. Yami's whole body was trembling with shadows. He couldn't call on that kind of power again so soon. It was too much...

Their eyes were white and cold but still, there was something very much human about them. _And why not_? Yugi thought. Because _human_ was exactly what they were. Just a couple of days ago they could've walked past each other on the street and not been any the wiser. Humans, at the root of it. Humans, Yugi thought, who feared the dark and wanted to be close to the light. They were like moths drawn to a flame.

 _Just_ like moths…

He was beginning to understand.

'So,' he murmured, 'is that what you want?'

Yugi remembered the look on the face of the creature that fell apart when it hit his windshield. The panic and desperation... Desperation for what?

'Yugi, get behind me.' Yami's voice was soft and dangerous, and Yugi knew he was serious. He'd die again before he let them touch Yugi.

'No, Yami.'

The pain suddenly turned into a numb tickle at the base of his spine and Yami's eyes widened at Yugi's words. '...Yugi?'

'I think… I might know what to do.'

'But, I—'

'Don't worry, Pharaoh,' Yugi smiled shakily not feeling nearly as brave as he was acting. And before Yami could think to protest, Yugi pulled away from him and begins to walk towards the monsters.

* * *

Mokuba had never been in a plane crash before.

At least, not like this. He didn't want to repeat the experience. They hadn't even hit the ground yet and the plane already feels like it was imploding. He could hear the engines screaming, like falling bomb or the effect of certain duel monster cards.

He never imagined it would be so _loud_. Or that he'd somehow still be able to hear the pilots yelling even while the world was breaking into pieces. At some point Marcus threw himself over Mokuba's chair and Mokuba found himself too surprised to do a thing about it.

Something thumped against his chest and when Mokuba looked, he saw his pendant. The picture it held was getting old now, but Mokuba knew he'd never replace it. It was the only picture he had of Seto smiling. Had been for nearly thirteen years. He thought about his brother, waiting for him on the runway just the way Mokuba always knew he would be. Never smiling, but always _there_.

He focused on the picture so intently, that when the plane hit the runway, he hardly felt it.


	9. Chapter Eight - How Not To Land a Jet

Chapter Eight - How Not To Land a Jet

* * *

 **Location: Highway Shoulder, En-Route to Vienna International Airport.**

 **Time: 12:31**

They weren't trying to kill them.

That was the first surprise Yami got when Yugi pulled away from him and began to walk towards the creatures. They didn't attack. Not at first anyway. They waited, almost patiently, watching Yugi as he limped towards them but not one of them moved a single, rotting muscle.

The second surprise was that Yami didn't feel the need to follow.

He _had_ attempted to, at first, an almost-instinct demanding that he _protect Yugi_ with every fibre of his being. Only pain and surprise stopped Yami in his tracks just before Yugi reached out a hand towards the nearest creature –the largest, it's once human limbs twisted back to front, like an amphibian. Its remaining white hair lank and worm-like, one eye black and the other socket hollow. Its fingers were long and witchlike, thorn-sharp,

'Yugi-'

'Don't move, Yami,' Yugi said sharply, and something in his tone forced Yami to remain still. Yugi took a last step forward. Yami's hand curled into a fist...

And one of the creature's rotten claws slashed hard at Yugi's face.

Yami reacted on impulse , racing forwards as the creatures scattered backwards in response. He reached out to grab Yugi, pull him away… But a heavy tug on their mind-link stopped him in his tracks once again: Yugi, warning him to back off. _'Yami, wait! It's okay, I know what I'm doing.'_

 _'Yugi,_ no _…'_

 _'It's alright, Yami trust me._ Please _, just trust me. Step back, you're_ frightening _them.'_

 _'I'm frightening_ them _?'_ Yami felt himself blinking in bewildered horror, but all the same, he did as Yugi asked, gritting his teeth and forcing himself not to rush in and end it all by ripping that monster apart. The creature lurched, getting a hold of Yugi's arm with the same hand it just used to slice at his face. Yugi didn't move. The creature looked up at him, clinging tightly, refusing to let go however much it trembled. It looked, Yami realised, as if it were terrified to be stood so close to Yugi, but at the same time, couldn't bring itself to back away. Like a moth stuck in the flame of a candle.

'Th-there… there see? He won't hurt you… so, long as you don't hurt me.'

The creature didn't stop. It's claw-like nails tightened and Yugi fought to keep his arm outstretched and still. Yami saw it rip through the cloth of Yugi's sleeve and started to _swear_ that if he saw blood he was going to _tear_ that thing apart. He didn't understand why the others hadn't moved. He didn't know what they were _waiting_ for.

 _'Maybe they're testing his limits... letting this one do all the work…Could they still have that much intelligence?_

 _'...What are they'?_

Yugi was terrified. Terrified, and a little disgusted. Yami could _feel_ it, pulsing through every fibre of his being just as it pulsed through Yugi himself. Just one of the many consequences of having your minds linked together –you got to feel your Other's pain. It was sometimes difficult for him to tell where Yugi's stopped and his own began, or if the heaving sensation in his stomach was his own growing disgust or Yugi's. But both of them pushed that fear and sickness away, focusing on the creatures before them.

Yugi even managed to _smile_.

'O… okay. I know. It's scary, isn't it? No wonder you're attacking us. You're... you're just like moths in candlelight, aren't you? You can't stop coming towards whatever human warmth you can find but… but when you get to it, you either have to rip it apart or it rips up you. That's… a really human thing, you know.'

Yugi took a deep breath. Behind them the hot engine of the jeep continued to tick. The other freaks were hardly moving. The only sound was the soft scraping of teeth and claws and Yugi's voice, talking to them gently.

'I think… I'm scared, too. Of all this. Of all of you. But that's alright. It's _okay_ if you're scared.'

Whatever Yugi was trying to convince them of, (his forgiveness? His compassion, maybe…) it didn't seem to be working. Yami felt another stab of pain as the creature's grip nearly dislocated Yugi's shoulder, but Yugi sucked up the pain and kept talking. 'I've… been scared for a long time. I know a lot about this darkness and I know sometimes it's not all _bad_. You know that too, because you're human. Maybe we've even met.'

Of course. They _were_ human, all of them. He'd been so angry that for a moment that he'd forgotten. Yami felt chilled by his own coldness. That didn't stop his anger, though. It didn't stop him fighting to hold back. There was blood, bright red and staining his shirt but Yugi still didn't move. Not an inch. And the creature's grip was half hearted now; its hold loosening, as if it was actually…

'… _Calming down_. _See, Yami? Just like I thought…'_

Yami could hardly believe it, but it looked like it was _still_ happening whether he believed it or not.

'So… do you see him?' Yugi whispered and for a moment Yami thought itwas him Yugi was talking to. Except it wasn't. 'The man behind me. He's very important. Do you know his name?'

Nothing. The monsters shifted uneasily and Yami shuddered as he saw them start to move forwards in Yugi's direction, lips drawn back over their teeth.

'His name is **Atem** ,' Yugi says, evenly.

Halfway down the highway, dead street lights began to flicker. The headlamps of the jeep sputtered and the engine gave a last dying shriek. The earth seemed to spasm just a little under the power of the Pharaoh's name spoken aloud. and in such clear reference to him. And under that same power, the creature gripping Yugi's arm stopped dead. It loosened its grip and pulled away, lurching back from Yugi like a frightened animal, but it was already too late. Yugi had spoken the name which bound the shadows. There was a deep, cold rush of air around all of them. Something that sounds like a key clicking in a lock. And suddenly, Yami understood what Yugi was trying to do.

These creatures had been humans, once. And they were still human enough to be bound by the same rules.

Yugi moved to grip his slashed arm and hiss in pain and, at the same time, he blurted out the pharaoh's name again. 'Y-you heard me! His name is _Atem_ and... and you can't ignore that, can you? No more than I can.'

* * *

 **Location: Cairo International Airport Secure Interview Room**

 **Time: 1:41 pm.**

Ishizu had absolutely no idea how her brother managed to hide the Millennium Rod on his person all the way from the airport security gates to the interrogation room, but somehow, he had done just that.

A logical part of her brain vaguely noted that this was probably the thing setting off all of the alarms when they tried to get through earlier, but at the moment, that wasn't her primary concern.

'Oh _Gods_. Marik, _please_ tell me you didn't…'

'Okay, I didn't,' Marik placed the Millennium Rod back in his belt with one swift movement. The guard was still standing where he had been ten seconds ago, the radio frozen on the way to his mouth, his eyes wide in alarm. Marik waved a hand in front of his eyes, experimentally. The guard didn't even twitch. 'Don't look so worried, big sister, it's not permanent. He won't remember any of this afterwards and we're not causing him harm.'

Ishizu took a moment to gather her nerves, but felt her voice dropping to an angry whisper, nonetheless. 'That… is a _millennium item_ , Marik. You have not touched that artefact for years why on _earth_ -'

'Well I thought today it might come in handy, what with the world ending and all. Besides. You're the one who said it was urgent that we get to Europe, right? I'm _getting_ us to Europe.'

' _Marik_ …' Ishizu bites her tongue. 'If they find out what you've just _done.._.'

'Then we'll all be in a whole world of trouble, big sister. But we're _going_ to be in a whole world of trouble anyway –literally. Anyway, they're not _going_ to find out,' Marik says. 'Now, shall we rescue our big brother and continue with our mission?'

Ishizu let out a long-held breath. 'I cannot believe we're doing this…'

'Says the woman who rigged a tournament to bring together three great entities of power in the form of cards in order to help rescue her brother from the clutches of his own evil,' Marik's grin when he said that was just a little disturbing. Ishizu knew he only did it to irritate her. He rounded the table to where the guard stood frozen like a statue, and removed the room key from his belt. 'Now, let's hurry, sister. We don't want to miss our flight.'

'Sometimes I do wonder,' Ishizu murmured; as she follows him out of the room, casting a quick glance at the still-paralysed security guard behind her as she did so.

* * *

 **Runway of Vienna International Airport.**

 **Time: 12:34**

The plane was so close that Téa could see through the windows before she realised what was the matter.

'Bakura! The wheel!'

'I know,' Bakura says. Téa could see his hands clenching into fists, still feeling the tremble of whatever it was he just did to scare away the monsters. The plane falling still had one wheel tucked up inside it's hull. 'Something is blocking it.'

Téa saw Mai's mouth opening –presumably to ask how a plane was supposed to land with only two wheels– but now the plane was all but touching the runway, still continuing to screech along at a hundred miles per hour, and her question died away on her lips. She heard Joey yelling from where he's still stood in the runway, the torch dropping out of his hands:

'Uh, guys time to _move_!' he yelled.

And _boy_ , did they move. She saw Joey stopping to grab Kaiba by the shoulder and drag him away whether he wanted to move or not. The industrial torches clattered to the ground and somehow, Téa still heard their impact.

And then the incoming plane _tilted_. The left wing collided with the runway and buckled. The remaining wheels sputtered and gave way as the plane fell belly down on the concrete. It was a silly thought, but Téa was somehow reminded of a failed three-point turn, with the dancer crumpling to one side. She'd seen it happening onstage often enough, and remembered perfectly how a dancer looked as her ligaments were torn by the fall.

This was so much worse than a failed pirouette.

The lack of wheels however, didn't seem to stop the jet. It kept going, with no signs of slowing, the killed engines whirring as it scraped the floor and continued to screech onwards, bringing half the tarmac with it, like it was ripping through paper. The plane's left wing was skidding, ripping across the concrete runway.

Besides her, Téa heard Mai swearing and felt Bakura's hand grip her wrist. _'Come on, come on,_ stop!'

'It… it's slowed down, hasn't it?' Mai gasps.

'Yeah but it's not stopping.'

Well, on the plus side, it hadn't collided with _their_ plane.

The next thing Téa knew, they ware all on the ground, most of them face down and clinging to the runway. The ground was _shaking_. Téa quickly covered her face with both hands and felt Bakura's arm wrap over her shoulders. What _that_ would protect her from she didn't know, but it was a nice gesture all the same.

She had thought the noise couldn't possibly get louder, but as the plane crashed into the side of the airport, concrete smashing and engines screaming, she realised that she thought wrong. The shaking seemed to go on forever, like the whole world had been thrown out of joint. And then, eventually, things began to fall still.

Something pattered in her hair as Téa lifted her head. Small, shimmering crystals toppled from her scalp –broken glass, all over the runway. Téa felt her blood run cold. And then she looked up to see the tail end of a Kaiba Corporation Jet smashed into the building besides her, hardened windows shattered all around it, catching light from a nearby industrial torch that somebody had dropped on the floor. The front end of the plane was crumpled like an old tin can.

* * *

When the noise and rumbling finally died away, Seto Kaiba was the only one still standing, his eyes fixed in horror on the shattered cockpit.

Seto Kaiba was a logical man, but that logic, as little as it often seemed, had always been coupled with emotion. Perhaps not the same emotions those ridiculous friends of Muto seemed to think were important, but emotions nonetheless.

Games were, after all, just a reflection of life. The important thing was protecting _your_ pieces. Seto Kaiba knew better than to go around screaming like that idiot Wheeler, or profess compassion to anyone he met regardless of whether they deserved it like Yuugi. Those kind of attitudes would kill you quickly in the business world, even in a company that specialised so heavily in entertainment for children.

So Seto Kaiba never allowed his feelings to control him. Motivate him –yes. But never control.

They were not controlling him now, as he dropped the industrial torch to the ground and began to run in the direction of the shattered jet. They wre not commanding _him_. He was controlling _them_. He was _using_ them, to the best of his ability. Letting his anger force his movement and letting determination force his judgement.

It was not –repeat _not–_ reckless terror which made him charge in the direction of the Jet's shattered cockpit. It was _not_ fear making him scramble up the battered walls of the building, opening veins on broken glass and skidding against shattered concrete. It was _not_ panic making him cling to the wall of the second floor of the airport, where the cockpit's doorway had finally come to a halt, and pound on the metal door.

And he sure as _fuck_ was not listening to Gardner yelling at him about how doing do was too dangerous.

Mokuba's name was pounding in his head, a constant, drumming, beat, and Seto Kaiba was not going to let his little brother die because these freaks and Yuugi decided to play heroes.

'Mokuba!'

The door he was pounding on buckled inwards, the metal hot beneath his hands. Too hot. Seto took a brief glance at the cockpit but he already knew the pilots were dead. The He just needed to know that his brother was okay. It was not fear making him yell Mokuba's name over and over –just pure certainty. He needed Mokuba to hear him. He _needed_ to _know_ …

The voice from inside seemed very quiet through the reinforced door.

'Seto?'

* * *

 **Location: Kaiba Corporation Jet 3-4-4. (What remains of it).**

 **Time: 12:35 pm**

There's a soft thudding coming from somewhere but Mokuba couldn't make out where it was or what it was coming from.

He figured he must've been knocked out, at some point, because one moment all the noise and ripping metal had been shrieking in his ears and the next, everything was quiet. Now he was awake again and things were still quiet. The engines had died. The aircraft was dark and still.

So that meant the thumping sound was coming from _him_. It was Mokuba's own heartbeat pounding in his ears. A few moments and a few deep breaths confirm this.

'Um, Marcus?'

It took a few seconds before he got an answer. 'Y-Yes, sir?'

'We're um… not dead.'

'…I… No sir, apparently we're not.'

Mokuba struggled to undo his belt. It was pitch black and he could feel metal creaking beneath them. 'We… we should get out of here,. Get the pilots to…'

'Sir…'

Mokuba didn't like Marcus's tone. He blinked hard, trying to focus through the darkness, trying to find the cockpit door. And then he saw that it wasn't there anymore. It was hard to make out anything in the pitch black, but he could see the shattered outline of the window and the wrecked remains of what used to be a cockpit.

'So go check on them!' '

'I... already have, sir.'

Mokuba swallowed. It was the closest he could get to a cognitive reaction. He felt his vision blurring. His fault. It was his fault. 'Shit…'

'So… what are your orders now, sir?'

'I… orders?'

Mokuba looked up at Marcus like he couldn't believe he just asked that question,. How could he? Mokuba had just dropped them into hell-on-earth with freaks and monsters and all of that. His orders just got a father killed and…

'We need to find Master Kaiba, correct? You're the most likely to work out his location before anyone else is killed. It's your call, sir.'

And yet Marcus was still looking at him, still taking orders and not seeming half as angry at Mokuba as Mokuba was at himself. 'I'm not sure, to be honest. But… if it was my brother guiding us down, then he should be out there.' Mokuba paused. 'Ai and Madoka… you remember?'

'Sir?'

'Daisuke, he... He said they were his kids. We'll… when we get back…'

His sentence trailed away when he heard the banging, loud and rhythmic.

 _'Mokuba? Mokuba, are you in there!_ Mokuba _!'_

… _Seto._

* * *

 **Location: Intercity Highway heading out of Domino City.**

 **Time: 07:50 am**

Duke Devlin hated traffic jams.

It was taking longer to get to Serenity's apartment than he had anticipated. Most commuters used the subway around here, but Duke knew better than to bet on the road being clear. That meant he was in for at least a couple of hours of bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic . This was still the fastest route, though, so he did it anyway. Hey, Serenity needed him and there weren't _many_ things Duke was prepared to get up at that hour in the morning for which weren't related to money, business or the occasional challenge from some smug little wannabe Dungeon Dicer.

Still after about half an hour, he resigned himself to the fact that they weren't going anywhere fast and turned on the radio, searching for a station reporting international news.

 _"-Contact with our colleagues in Southern Germany has been cut off entirely, and airports are closing multiple flights..."_

So things were getting worse, rather than better. Duke leaned back in his chair, sighing and glancing up at the rear view mirror.

Two sharp brown eyes glared back at him.

'Holy _shi—_!'

Duke just about had a heart attack on the spot. He sure as hell didn't expect the white haired, sneering figure now sitting in the back seat of the convertible with a white toothed smirk on his face, looking as if he'd always been there, his arms and legs folded in a position which could only be described as arrogantly smug

The visitor leaned backwards to glance out of the window at the driver of the SUV on Duke's left. Said driver was staring at Duke';s car in horror. Yami Bakura sighed. 'Yes, yes, you just saw me appear magically in the back of a vehicle, whoopdedoo, mortal, no need to sit there gawking.' He looked back at Duke and leered. 'Very easily freaked out you mortals, aren't you? So. Devlin... Having a bad morning? I certainly know I am.'

Yami Bakura took the first Shadow Passage he could find (a strand of occultist energy drifting in from the north of the city – one of his many shortcuts through the Shadow Realm which the ever annoying Pharaoh had yet to locate, and which Yami-Bakura was going to use to the best of his abilities) in order to catch up with Devlin's vehicle. Only a fool or a commuter would think to use the roads at this hour but then, where friends of Muto's are concerned, the definition "fool" could never be too far off.

Unfortunately hopping between here and Vienna was several steps too far for his power to cope with in his current state -as little as he wanted to admit it, just sending a _message_ that far and giving his Vessel's powers a helpful _shove_ had taken a lot out of him. Hence, he opted for hitchhiking with the only member of the Muto side crew who still happened to be in Japan.

He only materialised inside of the vehicle by manipulating the shadow magic of the world around them, for Ra's sakes, the idiot didn't have to have such a paroxysmal freak-out about it. 'Oh calm down, Devlin, I'm not here to murder anyone.'

'You… you shouldn't be in here I mean… what the hell? Why— Yami Bakura… where… Ryou he… what… where… how the fuck?'

'Now then, there's no need to be so impolite. Can't I drop by and visit my dear one-time-host's friends, now and then? I assumed you wouldn't mind one, _small_ passenger.'

Devlin's expression was almost impressively flabbergasted. 'Like hell! I'm on an important trip here, you can't just… materialise in peoples cars like that! How did you even get in here?'

'It's called Shadow Manipulation, dear human,' Yami Bakura responded boredly. 'I just let myself in here via a darkened passageway. Took me a while to trace your _exact_ signature.' He held up the Millennium ring from where it hung against his shirt. 'You're not exactly what I'd call a massive blip in the supernatural radar. But I got you in the end. Clever little trick, isn't it? Or at least it must seem so to you.'

'Oh,' Duke's voice was dry as a bone. 'Swell. So what do you _want_? In case you hadn't realised I'm on an important mission.'

'Yes, and going about it very quickly if I might say so,' Yami Bakura sneered. He wondered exactly what Devlin was using to fragrance this vehicle. Whatever it was, it smelled like a sarcophagi-preparer's herb cabinet. And was that really a _dice_ , hanging from the overhead rear view mirror? How _predictable_. 'You know I have a route which would get us to your destination far quicker than these ridiculous mortal method—'

'Uh— No. No _freaking_ way, you're not _touching_ me with any of that dark magic stuff, Yami Bakura now… now get out of my car!'

'Do be patient, all in good time. As it happens I have a _very_ good reason for wasting my time on you. You see I happen to have a slight problem.'

Devlin snorts. 'Yeah, well so do I. It's about five ten, has badly styled white hair, and is currently sitting in my—'

'Shut up and let me finish, let's not forget that the shadows I used to get in here can easily dump you wherever I ask them to.' Duke stopped talking. Good. 'Now, concerning my situation. In case you hadn't already realised I happen to be missing my Other Half. I am missing him, Devlin, because he thought it would be clever to take a little excursion to a death-zone without me.'

Devlin leaned back in his seat, frowning. 'Bakura's in Vienna, yeah? With Yuugi and the others. I figured they might be.'

'You figured correctly. I've already proven to Ryou once that going to such a place without me is really quite stupid behaviour, but he would be an idiot and insist on helping out those friends of his.'

'Yeah, fine, what's your point? I've got a girl who needs me here and I'm not in the mood for—'

'If I've told you to be patient once, I've told you a thousand times, 'Devlin,' Yami Bakura snapped. Just for a second, he extended a shadow field from his own body and around Devlin's chair, closing an invisible hand over his mouth. The boy lurched back into his seat and gasped before Yami Bakura released him. 'Now. Shut up. Don't make me suffocate you.'

Devlin fell forwards again against the wheel. 'God… _damn you_ … are you fucking _insane_?'

'Possibly. But right now my patience is of more concern to you than my sanity. Don't make me hurt you _just_ to get your attention. Back to the point…'

He leaned back in his seat. The sarcophagi smell wasn't actually that bad, once you got used to it. Duke supposed that it grew on you, just like any other smell of death. 'I've reached out to him once already. Had to help the weakling out of a minor _jam_ , you might say. But I'm not used to extending my powers halfway round the globe, Devlin. And I doubt they would extend that far again as anything more than a form of communication. That's no good to me. I need to reach him.'

'And what do you want me to do about it?' Devlin croaked. Lucky for him Bakura _had_ vowed against killing (humans, at least) for the next decade or so, just to keep his host happy.

'Simple. You're the big powerful games designer, right? Maybe you're not a Kaiba Corporation goon, but I'm pretty sure you have connections. I need you to _use_ those connections to get me to any place within a hundred miles of central Vienna. From there I can access my own shadow abilities and go the rest of the way myself.'

Devlin sat quietly for a moment letting this fact sink in. The vehicles around them continued to peep and toot incessantly. If they kept it up, Yami-Bakura swore, he was going to start calling Shadows to the freeway.

'Oh-kay… And I suppose you have a really good reason for _me_ to do that for _you_ , huh?'

'Yes. Because I'll let the shadows suffocate you if you don't.'

Devlin paused for a long moment, then a smile began to creep across his face. If he was annoying while flustered he was even more so while calm. 'Wow, what a choice. And Ryou's gonna be really, really unhappy if you do that, isn't he?'

Bakura twitched before he could suppress it. '...Who says he has to _know_ about it, Devlin? And anyhow, this one little favour will get me out of your hair, won't it? It could be very beneficial for you,' he said, carefully. 'To be owed a small debt by a spirit of the darkness itself… Very beneficial indeed.'

'It might, huh?' Devlin actually seemed intrigued by that. 'Sorry if I'm not convinced. Why would _you_ want to go into a "death zone" as you call it? I hear Vienna's a real mess right now. They can't even get a camera crew within fifty miles of the city.'

'Because Ryou is there,' Yami Bakura said, bluntly. 'That's all you need to know. He might be an ignorant fool but he's _my_ ignorant fool, and still the other half of my soul. If he gets himself killed out there then its curtains for me too.'

'Sounds like you _are_ in a jam,' Duke smiled that sickening, irritating smile. Yami Bakura was starting to wish he went elsewhere for assistance, not that there was anywhere he really _could_ have gone. 'Okay. Whatever. If you're really so keen to get there, I suppose... Serenity and I were going to check out the airport anyway. But I've got a condition.'

He should've known. 'And what might that be?'

'I'm coming with you. To Vienna.'

It took a couple of seconds for his surprise to fade into amusement. Yami Bakura gazed out of the front window at the traffic ahead and smiled. 'I should have known. Now _you_ want to play hero as well, huh?'

'Yeah well... Like you I have my reasons,' Duke muttered. 'So that's my deal, either I come _with_ you or you're not going anywhere. And I can't promise I can _get_ us anywhere in the first place... The airports are kind of crazy at the moment.'

'Seems like a fair compromise,' Yami Bakura said, after a long pause. It was not his concern, after all, whether or not Devlin added himself to the body count currently rising in Austria. All he cared about was _Ryou._

'Alright. I've got to see Serenity first… she's Joey's sister,' Devlin clarified.

Yami Bakura suppressed an impatient scowl.' Fine, but let's speed it up, shall we?'

'How can we? We'll be stuck in this queue for a few hours yet, the jams won't start to clear until rush hour is over.'

Yami-Bakura snorted. 'That, my dear mortal, is a problem which can easily be solved.'

And then he fixed his gaze on the road before them, and _manipulated_.

Duke felt a chill race down his spine. The Shadows reached across the dashboard and creep into the engines of the car in front, then the truck in front of that and then the next car afterwards. Yami Bakura drew the shadows in and _pushed_ them out, revelling at the look of vague panic which settled across Devlin's face as his car quite literally vanished from the highway.

* * *

 **Location: Runway of Vienna International Airport.**

 **Time: 12:36**

When Seto and Mokuba first arrived at the Kaiba household -Gozaboru's reluctant new pet project, and the unknown future of his company- they had been all but locked away in wings at opposite ends of the huge mansion.

Seto had often snuck out of his wing and gone to visit his brother. It had been a stupid thing to do, though he didn't know this at the time. He didn't know he'd be punished for it and even if he had, Seto probably wouldn't have cared. He would've still gone. To see his little brother. To find him in the maze of rooms and corridors that was supposed to be their new home.

When he finally got to Mokuba's room, he always found his brother's door locked, and had to tap carefully on the outside to wake him up and get him to come nearer. That was how they'd stayed for a while, talking to each other sleepily through the door.

This was what Seto Kaiba remembered, as he heard his little brother's voice on the other side of the battered plane entry. He remembered his hands pressed against the door as they talked through it.

'S…Seto? That's you right?'

'Hey there,' Seto found his voice was softer than usual. Easily as soft as it was that day ten years ago, sitting outside of Mokuba's locked bedroom door.

'I knew it… I knew you'd be here, Seto! I… is Yuugi with you? Are the others there?'

'Well, I've got that Wheeler idiot yelling up at me and the rest of their little ragtag bunch along for the ride if that's what you're asking. Are you alright?'

'…My head hurts. Seto I think… I've done something bad…'

'No. It's alright. It was logical that you'd try to follow.'

'W-well, that's my job right? Following you around and all. It's a brother thing. Or a Kaiba thing, doesn't really matter.'

Seto found himself smiling. 'Is anyone in there with you?'

'Y-yeah. Marcus is here, but the pilots are…' his voice trailed off with the kind of frightened realisation that fell upon someone when they realised they were less than ten feet away from a couple of bodies. 'Seto?'

'I'm here, Mokuba.… I know about the pilots. I can tell from here.'

'Oh. Okay…' Mokuba said. He sounded more desperate this time and Seto could almost imagine he was ten years old again

The silence hung between there for a moment. Seto remembered being ten himself, dragged yelling away from his brother's door and forced back into his own locked room. He remembered the extra three hours of punishment.

But nobody would pull him away from Mokuba. Not now. Not _ever_ again.

'It's not your fault. Stay put. I'll get you out of there.'

'Okay. Sure.'

* * *

It was one of those moments that Joey Wheeler couldn't help but _hate_.

Mostly because he just _couldn't_ seem to hate _Kaiba_ the way he usually did whenever Mokuba was around. It was impossible to hate the guy entirely when his brother so single-mindedly defended him at every turn. It made Joey think of Serenity…

…God, _Serenity_.

She was the last thing he should be thinking about right now; she was safe on the other side of the planet. But he thought about her anyway because Serenity had basically gotten most of the brains of the family, meaning she'd probably already worked out where Joey was and was freaking out about it. And unlike some people, she didn't have a jet to get her out here.

Maybe that was a good thing.

Joey took a step back from the shattered wall of the airport where he'd been looking up at Kaiba The crashed jet had come to a half halfway through the wall of the airport building, and Kaiba was literally standing on the second floor to reach the cockpit. , and took another deep breath turning around to give the others a thumbs-up. Even from here it was clear that nobody in the actual cockpit could've possibly survived. The collision with reinforced glass alone would've torn them to ribbons...

Joey shuddered.

'Joey—!'

… Then he looked down; noticed Téa's eyes widening and her mouth open on a yell. Whatever else she was about to hear, he never heard. By the time the name emerged from her mouth, Joey was face down on concrete with a heavy, powerful weight pushing down on him from overhead and a childlike _screech_ echoing in his ears.

 _'Oh, shi—!'_

It came out of _nowhere_ , A screaming, not-quite-human face mere inches in front of his own. It was already on top of him, trying to rip out his throat before Joey realised what had drawn it to him in the first place–the light of the torch Kaiba had dropped was shining directly on Joey. He was like a beacon for whatever freaks were left over after Ryou did... whatever that was. And this one didn't even have eyes anymore so Joey had no fucking clue how it saw the light in the first place.

Téa was screaming and Mai was yelling and Kaiba was looking down on them in shock. Joey saw Tristan and Mai run forward to try and drag the thing away, only to end up flung across the runway. Claws tried to slash at his stomach—

' _Stop_!'

And to Joey's surprise, the creature did. The spindle-like fingers pulled away from his chest as the creature ripped away with a half-whimpering sound, leaving Joey bleeding and shaking as he staggered to his feet, Mai's arms on his shoulders.

He knew that voice. He knew who it was. He just couldn't believe what it just _did_.

'Yugi!'


	10. Chapter Nine - Thought Patterns, Darknes

Chapter Nine - Thought Patterns, Darkness, and Light.

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport Runway 12.**

 **Time: 12:38 pm**

The creature hit the ground like a sack of bones, then scurried away, leaving rips in Joey's clothes and a couple of shallow ones in the flesh of his stomach. Joey watched as it crawled back and rested itself between him and…

'…Yugi?'

Yugi. Who was standing less than twenty feet in front of him. Face white, eyes circled with deep, dark shadows and a gentle looking hand against his shoulder. The owner of the hand was is still shrouded in shadows; But Joey knew exactly who it was.

'Yugi, that… that's you right? It _better_ be you…' He took a step backwards. Bakura muttered something under his breath which sounded like a kind of curse in English. 'If... if it's not you, then I think we're in trouble. Or dead. Or both…'

'It's me, Joey,' Yugi's voice was a whisper, but it echoed loud. Joey wanted to run forwards and give him one of those I'm-man-enough-to-be-comfortable-doing-this-so-shut-up-already hugs, but his feet felt rooted to the floor. The creature that had just been attacking him sat quietly on the concrete, glancing back and forth between Yugi and Joey. And more that that... there were others, wandering around the airport, gazing at the humans present without actually attacking.

'It's us. We knew you'd come…' Yugi paused, taking a step forwards. The two creatures on the floor shifted uneasily after him, as if afraid to get too far away. Yugi glanced at them and gestured and they seemed to back off, gathering in Yami's shadow as the taller man glared at them in warning.

Then, and only then, did anybody dare move.

Specifically, _all of them_ moved, all at once. Joey was the first to get there and wrap Yugi up in a hug that lifted him off his feet. Then Téa was hugging him. And Tristan, and Bakura was trying to give Yami an awkward shoulder pat before getting full on dragged into a hug by Mai. There was wild hair ruffling and laughter and for one long, amazing moment, everything felt like it was going to be okay.

'God, guys, I'm _so sorry_ ,' Yugi mumbled into the shirt he was being squashed into. 'I didn't mean… this is a _really_ bad place right now, if we'd known it was going to get so bad we wouldn't have called and… look, don't be scared of them, okay? They won't hurt you; at-at least _these_ ones won't. They won't hurt _anyone_ , we've come all the way from the city, because... we didn't know what else to do.'

' _Yug_ ,' Joey repeats his name, mostly for emphasis, but partly to get Yugi to shut up already. It didn't work.

'-And we knew if you came you'd arrive here so… don't be mad? We never meant— we... Wait, Téa?' Téa laughed. The creatures hissed at her a little but Téa didn't hesitate, her hands wrapped around Yugi's neck and clung until he started clinging back. 'I... but... this isn't New York!'

'Of course it isn't New York, Yugi!' Téa laughed, and Joey heard Yami muttering fondly: _"I told you she'd find a way here, phone tree or no phone tree"_.

'But... you said you had rehearsal! You're meant to be at rehearsal, on a stage! Téa, there's no stage here!' Yugi was babbling.

'Oh, damn it, you _idiot_! How could you ever _doubt_ we'd come here?! Rehearsal? who cares about a damn rehearsal?!'

'We... thought we had need of you,' Yami said. He has stepped out of the darkness so that Joey could see him more clearly: one arm still slung around Bakura's shoulder. The whites of his eyes were almost as red as his irises. His presence made the world seem strangely quiet again.

Tristan, ever a font of deep insight, said: 'Dude, you look like _crap_.'

'Speak for yourself,' Yami chuckled. 'We see now we may have dragged you into a situation we should've handled alone. Forgive us…'

'I never doubted it… I knew you'd come,' Yuugi murmured sadly, as if he thought _that_ was exactly the problem. Téa detached herself from him, but only remained standing free for as long as it took her to wrap her arms just as tightly around Yami and continue hugging with renewed vigour. Yami's hands flitted over her shoulders until he figured out how hugging worked. Bakura patted Yugi timidly on the hand.

When Joey finally looked away, Seto Kaiba was standing behind them all with a rather large bundle in his arms –a bundle which was pushing to get down and muttering about not being a kid. Mokuba. Kaiba let his younger brother go and stand on shaking feet. The boy was still short, despite the five extra years of growth, and honestly the business suit didn't make him look any older. Maybe he thought it did, but to Joey it just looked like a kid; playing at dress ups and pretending to be grown up.

Joey should _really_ ask if he was okay -he _had_ just been in as plane crash-but he couldn't take his eyes off Yugi and the creatures surrounding him. Something about Yugi felt cold and strange like Joey was meeting him inside of a bad dream.

But at least it was Yugi.

That was all Joey needed for now.

* * *

 **12:43 am.**

Kaiba kept one eye locked on the strange creatures at all times.

They came to Yugi when he called them and reached out his hand, though as they did so, they shuddered. Kaiba counted four of the strange creatures that he figured _used_ to be the locals. None of them got too close to Atem.

Atem.

For CEO Seto Kaiba, that name packed almost the same punch as "Frankenstein" might for a literary philosopher. The _literal_ punch that came with saying this name aloud only served to add to his annoyance. Even repeating Atem's name inside of your head sent chills right to the base of your spine, evoking the sensation of lives Seto couldn't remember living and never wished to.

It was impossible to escape the memories that surrounded Yami Mutou –the memories Seto had never truly _had_. Not as _this_ Kaiba in _this_ time,. And as he sat there, on the floor of the airport terminal, with one arm around Mokuba, and with Yugi's strange little group talking all around him, Kaiba still found his face drawn to Yami. Yami's expression was tired and disturbed, but remained as firm and ascertained as ever, even with those _creatures_ nearby, virtually pecking at Yugi's coattails.

When he looked at Kaiba, they communicated without words. Yami saying: _You came. I'm surprised_ with a tilt of his head. And Kaiba's responding snort says _think nothing of it. Really. Don't._ Yugi, for the most part, seemed oblivious to the silent exchange. He seemed oblivious to most things, right now. he kept glancing around at his friends, as if making certain they were really there.

Kaiba was still astounded to find the pair of them alive – but he knew he probably shouldn't be. Yami would stay alive in a vacuum out of sheer stubbornness and there was no way Yugi was going to die anywhere without Yami.

And as Kaiba sat there, drinking in the sight and presence of the group and the strange, rotting creatures that hovered nearby, a startling truth arose in his mind.

They'd been here before.

* * *

 **12:53pm.**

By the time they has gotten to grips with everything (it had certainly been an eventful twenty minutes) everyone was sitting in the Boarding Gate Foyer of Vienna International airport.

Bakura had never seen inside of an airport during a black out before. It was a strange experience. Airports were never empty. They weren't _designed_ to be. Everything seemed to echo more than it did in the daylight – or maybe it was just the emptiness creating that effect. Either way, it was peculiar.

'Airports,' he hears Tristan mutter. '…Figures, don't it?' and Bakura kind of understood what Tristan meant. It seemed that every time their little group got in any kind of trouble, airports were in some way involved. Usually because they were heading off to some distant country with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Either that or they we're coming back, and the weight of the world has been lifted, but also left everyone exhausted. Whatever the case, Bakura figured, the airport was usually bad news.

What _did_ happen here in Vienna, anyway?

Really, he has no idea whatsoever how or why they were all still alive, but he knew it has something to do with-

'Ryou?' Joey interrupted Bakura's thoughts. 'Ya okay?'

'Ah... sorry, Joey. I was lost in thought.'

'No wonder, eh? Anyway I'm trying to tell Yugi what happened, but, uh... frankly I don't really know myself. What the _hell_ did you _do_ back there?'

Bakura shuffled uncomfortably. He'd been slowly piecing together the answer to that very question, and he wasn't sure he liked it. 'I... don't think it was me, Joey. Or at least... not me alone.'

Everyone looked at him, eyes soft and concerned - especially Yugi, who Bakura sensed understood far more than anyone else. Their relief at their reunion seems to have faded into nervousness, and they were all beginning to show how tired they were.

'What?' Joey frowned at him. 'C'mon, man. You nearly blew up half the airport.'

'Mm.'

'So… How'd you do it?'

'We saw it from the _plane_ ,' Mokuba exclaimed. 'Seriously, we were about a thousand feet up, heading for three little light flashes, and the next thing I know, whoosh!' He slapped his hands together. 'Light everywhere. Like an atom bomb.'

'It was magic, wasn't it?' Mai said.

'Nah, Mai, he's just got a _really_ strong pocket torch,' Tristan snorted.

'Oh well _excuse_ me for _trying_ to figure out the impossible, like being around you people ever makes _any_ sense!'

Yugi gave Bakura a smile. 'You think maybe it's similar to what _I_ can do?'

'Yeah, um... about that.' Mokuba was frowning. 'What _can_ you do, exactly, Yugi? Like... how did you get those things to just...' he gestured vaguely at the strange monsters hovering around Yugi like cautious children. '...Do that?'

Yugi sighed. 'I'm not sure. All I know is they're bound by At- by Yami's true name.'

'My name and your magic, Yugi,' Yami corrected, ignoring Kaiba's quiet snort. 'A potent combination, it seems. With the power to control _or_ to destroy as you wish... '

'Some skill set,' Kaiba muttered.

'We're still not entire sure exactly what that skill set _is,_ Yami said, calmly. 'But what _you_ did, Bakura, certainly resembles what I've seen... Yami Bakura do. Only with _light_ , instead of Shadows.' He had the decency to look self-conscious when bringing Yami-Bakura up.

'And similar to what Yugi did to get those those _things_ to follow him around without trying to rip us new eyeholes,' Mai added.

'Don't call them that,' Yugi said. 'They aren't _things_... they used to be people, Mai, just like you or me. They're probably more human than a lot of the creatures out there now, at least.'

He spoke quietly and without anger, but Mai seemed cowed all the same. 'Sorry, hun, it's just...' she looked at them and shuddered. 'They don't exactly look like people anymore, now do they?'

'True, but they _are_ still human enough to recognise a source of light magic when they see it,' Bakura said quietly. 'That's why they got close enough to Yugi for him to bind them with the Pharaoh's name.'

 _And why that kind of thing wouldn't work on_ all _of them..._ He added to himself. _I was able to destroy many of them in a matter of seconds_. _Bakura may have loaned me the knowledge to do it... but I'm the one who used the power. Maybe_ destroying _them is all I can do._ _Perhaps that's a mercy..._

'So then, perhaps it depends on exactly how much humanity each individual has managed to hold onto...' Yami suggested. 'If they're too far absorbed by Shadows...'

'Then all that light-power will do is tear them to pieces,' Joey shuddered. It still looked to Bakura as if the creatures were _hurting_... As if Yugi was the most beautiful thing they'd see: too bright too look away from, even when it made them blind.

'Whatever the rules are, it'd benefit us if you learned them quickly,' Kaiba said, drawing everyone's attention - including, Bakura noted with some humour, the attention of the shadow creatures that surrounded Yugi. They seemed... oddly interested in Kaiba too, glancing at him more often than anyone besides Yami and Yugi. They mostly wandered aimlessly around the room, clambering up walls like spiders and occasionally glancing in Yugi's direction, as if to check he hadn't left. It would almost be endearing, if it weren't so horrifying. 'They could be the only weapon we have that'll work on these damn things.'

'But... I don't _know_ how I did it, and that's the honest truth,' Bakura gestured vaguely at the creatures, with claws that could tear and teeth that could shred and eyes that he could barely imagine were once human.

'We... understand a little,' Yugi said softly, leaning deeper on Yami's side until their heads were practically touching. 'These ones… I think they're still human enough to know we want to stop this. As much as they can't stand the touch of it, they still... crave the light. Like Seto's torches, and the lights of car headlamps. Most of them panic at the sight of it, but they're still always drawn to it.'

'Like moths around a candle,' Téa says, quietly.

'Exactly,' Yami nodded.

'And this has... _what_ to do with you, exactly?' Bakura asks calmly. If seemed a fair enough question. After all, not long before Yugi arrived, all the creatures had been dead set on destroying them. Bakura still remembered the crushing power ripping through him and destroying so _many_ of them at once and realised he was not quite ready (or sure how) to explain. His heart and skull still ached from it.

The silence that followed was long and choking. Téa's heels tapped against the tiled floor.

'It's… all about opposites, I think,' Mokuba said, lifting his head and removing the rough gauze Kaiba had been making him hold over an open cut. (And maybe it was a teeny bit embarrassing, Bakura thought, that the sixteen year old amongst them was the first to work it out, but of course, the Kaiba's were _supposed_ to be geniuses.) 'Like magnets. That's how it's _always_ been. Light can't exist without dark... what?' he shrugged at Seto's raised eyebrow. 'We've both _seen_ Yami blow up freakin' _cars_ with his brain, Seto. It's not exactly news.'

'So Dark Magic destroys, and Light Magic creates,' Yami's eyes narrowed. 'Is that what you mean?'

'Not _exactly_. Dark magic, light magic... they're two sides of one coin, right? And Dark's not necessarily _evil_ ,' Eyes flit in Yami's direction. 'So who says light is necessarily all _good_? Magic and personality aren't necessarily interchangeable, you know.'

Joey grunted. 'Kid's got that right. I mean I'd place bets that the Blue Eyes _White_ Dragon is a total jerk for the other Monsters to have to share a deck with.'

' _Very_ funny, mutt.' Kaiba looked up. 'So let's say this is all true… that these _things_ are drawn towards the essence of light… And towards people who _contain_ this so called "light magic" in their bodies… That would mean that just being _around_ you two—' he pointed to Bakura and Yugi. '—Is like us sitting around a baited bear trap. Unless of course you're planning on convincing the _other_ two-point-six million once-human creatures out there into doing what you tell them, too Yugi.'

'…What?' Yugi blinks a few times and obviously didn't recognize the sarcasm: 'Oh… Um, no. No, I... don't think it works on most of them. They're... too far gone. Using light on them _now_ would just destroy them.'

'But this _does_ explain it,' Mokuba pointed out. 'I mean… we're normal human beings -mostly- who've just happened to drop into a world that's turned _completely_ dark . Most of us don't have magic, but we're still better than the darkness. And based on what you've told us, the only time they really go for you…'

'Is when the lights go up,' Kaiba finished. 'And then they _panic_ , and start trying to rip that light to pieces. It's not just _instinct_. It's because they _fear_ us, the same way early man feared lightning. They know it can destroy them.'

'It wasn't me who did that,' Ryou said softly. That got everyone's attention. 'Earlier, I mean. Well, at least not alone, I think… the Other Me. _Yami_ Bakura… I felt him,' his hand grips the place at his neck where the ring used to lie. 'I don't know what he _did_ exactly. He just reached in and found that power inside of me, but I was frightened, so he had to _make_ me bring it out.'

There was a brief silence. 'Ryou.. Yami Bakura isn't here now,' Téa said quietly. 'How did he even _reach_ you all the way from Domino?'

'You'd be surprised how far those kind of bonds can stretch,' Yami squeezed Yugi's shoulder. 'Especially considering that this part of the world is currently _covered_ by shadows... it's probably amplifying the connection they have.'

Joey's face curled into a scowl. 'That blows, man, he doesn't get to _make_ you do anything you don't wanna do, haven't we been through this like a hundred times?'

'Nonetheless, Joey, it _happened_ ,' Bakura's tone was calm and soft. He felt almost docile, even knowing what it was he had unleashed. In knowing what he was capable of. 'I think, in some ways, it was necessary... I wouldn't have been able to do it without him.'

'S'why what we did at the crash site nearly didn't work,' Yugi said softly from his current position, leaning against Yami's shoulder. Bakura didn't understand what he meant, but Yami was frowning and avoiding Yuugi's gaze in a way that suggested _he_ did. 'You can't see light without darkness, right? And the stronger the light, the deeper the dark. Yami…' he tilted his head a little to get a look at Yami's eyes. 'I needed _your_ power on top of mine, so they could see the difference between us and…' He blinks again. 'They're scared of you. But I drew them to us, and the power of your name is what's keeping them... here.' Bakura saw Yugi squeeze Yami's hand, interlacing their fingers together. 'Because you're the dark. The same stuff that created them. They just don't understand… They're frightened of the darkness, but I think they're still afraid of _me_ , too. They can't deal with either of us.'

'That would seem to make sense,' Yami said, softly.

They all looked uneasily at the creatures. Bakura could _feel_ them without looking, creeping about the chairs.

Joey shuddered. 'Well, they still give me the creeps no matter _what_ they are.'

'Don't forget: they're human,' Yugi murmured. 'They just got stuck like this. It's not their fault.'

'Yeah. They _were_ human,' Joey muttered. 'Looking at them now, though, it's hard to believe.'

'Will they come?' Kaiba asked, tersely. Everyone looked up at the question. 'If you call them, Yugi. Will they come to you? _All_ of them?'

'These ones will, but... not the rest, I don't think. These ones are bound by Yami's true name.' He nodded, seemingly to himself. 'Just… don't turn a torch on them or anything.'

'You hear that, big brother? No more industrial lighting,' Mokuba smiled weakly, but Kaiba didn't seem to appreciate the joke. Or Mokuba removing the gauze from his forehead. ('Hold it there or I'll glue it to you, Mokuba.')

'If they know they were human,' Mai muttered, leaning back in her chair. 'What they used to be… I wonder how quickly I'd go insane in that position.'

'What do you mean?' Tristan asked.

'She means we should never let them out of our sight,' Kaiba said. 'Crazy people don't care about laws, magical or otherwise. Yugi I don't know why those _things_ follow you you'd better keep it that way until we can work out how to fix this.'

Yugi frowned. 'You don't have to tell me twice.'

'Our objective is the same as ever,' Yami said, seeming to take control again. He turned to the map spread out on the floor between them, held flat with water bottles and books. Several areas of the map had been crossed out with red marker and small frownie faces - Yugi's doing, no doubt, Bakura smiled. 'We find the source of this Invasion, and seal it away before this gets any worse.'

Kaiba raised an eyebrow again. 'And _that_ was your strategy? Just going place by place and crossing it out with marker pen?'

'It's the only plan we have, my usual abilities seem to be muted, probably by the fact that magic is flying in all directions all at once. But we're narrowing it down,' Yami avoided Kaiba's gaze choosing instead to direct his eyes towards Joey. 'You don't have to follow us.'

'Be serious, man.'

'We _are_ being serious,' Yami went on sternly, in the voice he used for duels. 'You came when we had need of you, and we're both so grateful for that, but we fear our actions may have been too…' he hesitated, searching for the right word.

'Selfish,' Yugi finished for him. 'We don't want you guys to be hurt, that's all. If you can leave then you _should_. We're going to stay and find out what happened here.'

Joey snorted. 'Yeah right. We came all this way, Yami, do you really think we're gonna leave you both now? You know we set through like, a six hour flight for this.'

Yami smirked. 'Well, they say you should leave this kind of thing to the experts. I suppose we're as close to experts as you can get.'

Yugi patted Yami's collarbone. 'That's more like the Yami I know.'

'…Has the Yami you know been absent in some way?' Yami frowned. Bakura couldn't tell if it was genuine confusion or casual mirth.

'Mm, only since the jeep crashed.'

'Since the _jeep_ crashed?' Bakura asked, but nobody offered an explanation.

'I'm glad,' Yami said, drily, 'that my efforts at normalcy have not been lost on you, partner.'

'And I'm _not_ glad if my efforts in getting you all here are going to be wasted just like that,' Kaiba muttered.

'You could always go home, Kaiba.' Everyone turned to Téa in surprise. There was no accusation or anger in her tone. 'You don't want to be here, after all.' she said calmly, palms together in her lap. 'You got us all here, you brought us all together. Thank you. But no one's asking you to stay. So just... take the jet and get out of here. What's keeping you?'

Bakura felt the atmosphere go cold, but Kaiba didn't offer Téa a response. None of them really expected him too. He was leaning back in his chair and giving's off the air of somebody they were stuck with for reasons none of them could explain.

Then, after a few more seconds, he stood up, and knelt down again besides Yami in front of the map. 'What's keeping me,' he said. 'Is the fact that you fools couldn't work out a map if someone paid you to do it. Give it here...'

'And what exactly do you know about tracking Shadow Magic?' Yami said.

'About magic? Nothing,' Kaiba snorted. 'But you know what _is_ a part of running a successful business, Yami Mutou? Tracking _social patterns_. Show me where these things started happening, and I'll show you where they began.'

A small smile tweaked over Mokuba's split lip. 'Looks like we're all stuck with each other, huh?'

* * *

 **Location: Cairo International Airport**

It was amazing how easily they managed to board their flight, after that.

Marik got them through security without difficulty, though as soon as they approached the runway, the Rod was returned to his belt– under direct orders from Ishizu that it _stayed_ there. By the time the three of them were seated and belted up - much to the confused, annoyed gazes of their fellow passengers- the engines of the plane were already whirring to life.

Ishizu decided that Marik is enjoying this whole mess far too much.

'You know we should've brought snacks,' Marik said.

'...Is now _honestly_ the time for thinking about your stomach, Marik?'

'Well, the end of the world make me hungry,' Marik allowed himself a smile as he folded his arms behind his head. Odion was not nearly so relaxed – his hands remained clenched into fists. 'Perhaps it's related to having _caused_ a couple, a gut reaction of sorts.'

Ishizu sighed. She could scarcely believe all the rules they had already broken in their attempt to get here. If it weren't for the fact that the end of the world was virtually sitting on their doorstep…

The plane's engines seemed to sing into life. Ishizu thought about the security guards who should _just_ be coming unstuck now, and uttered a silent prayer under her breath. if this failed, there is no way they were getting back into Cairo.

'Please try to cause as little trouble as possible, Marik,' she murmured.

Marik leans back further in his chair, smiling a smile which did not reassure her in the slightest. 'I promise, big sister. After all, we're flying into enough trouble as it is.'


	11. Chapter Ten - Riverbound

Chapter Ten - Riverbound.

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport.**

 **Time: 01:26 pm**

'So that's it, then,' Kaiba jabbed a finger at the map spread out on the floor. 'The Danube.'

Joey blinked. 'The what now?' but Yugi's eyes were widening.

'He means the _River_ , Joey. You mean all of this is coming from _there_?'

'It would stand to reason.' Yami said. 'Our estimate _was_ that most of the shadow energy originated in that area, and it was definitely _stronger_ at the hotel –which is closer to the Danube than here.'

'So you're saying that all of this Shadow Magic is erupting from ... what? Some kind of gateway in the middle of the river?' Téa said, trying to ignore the monsters edging closer to their backs, eager to reach out to Yugi and Bakura with cold, rotting fingertips.

'And once it got here, there was no telling how far it could spread. The Danube is a direct source of drinking water. It provides for this whole region.' Kaiba says.

Yami nodded. 'So once the Shadows had infected immediate users of the river, direct body-to-body contamination became a lot easier. Dark magic spreads more quickly through hearts and minds than it does H2O.'

Kaiba snorted. 'Whatever you say. All I know is that this started at the river... probably fairly close to the city's entrance.'

'Boundaries between worlds and cities,' Yami murmured, hands tracing the paper beneath them. 'Borders in the real world and the magical one alike. If we can get there and purify the source, we can kill the infection.'

'So that's where we have to _go_ to finish this.' Yugi stood up with, Téa thought, far too much confidence and energy for someone with a sprained ankle and shadow magic pounding at his body – amongst other things.

'Um... Yeah,' she coughed. 'Yugi, I'm not sure any of us should go out there, least of all you.'

'We may not have a choice,' Yami didn't sound any happier about it than Téa felt. 'Yugi and Bakura are the only people who might have a chance at stropping this.'

'Wait wait, go back a bit,' Joey waves his hands about in confusion. ' _Purify_? What's that supposed to mean?'

'Well... _purify_ is probably a bad choice of word,' Yami says evenly. 'A more accurate word might be "Balance". The Shadow Magic is leaking through to our world via a tear in the fabric of reality. Yugi and Bakura are the only sources of pure light magic remaining functioning in this part of the world. That means they're the _only_ ones who can even out the discord between dark and light magic and return some sense of normalcy. They can close the gateway.'

'What about all the people? I mean... like them,' Mokuba nodded uneasily in the direction of the monsters still clinging to the edge of Yugi's light. And now, presumably, Bakura Ryou's too.

'I'm not sure what'll happen to them.' Yami said. 'But... my guess is their fates won't be any worse than if we left them like this. We have to reach the Danube quickly –or else this contamination is going to spread too far for us to stop it.'

'The question stands, then,' Tristan said. 'How the heck do we _get_ to the Danube?'

More to the point,' Téa added. 'That river must be thousands of miles long, how are we ever going to know exact whereabouts the gate opened?'

'We'll have to rely on common sense and Yugi and Bakura for that,' Kaiba muttered. 'We can figure out the rough location based on the maps. They should be able to pinpoint the source from there.'

'You're putting a lot of faith in this all of a sudden' Yugi muttered. 'Guys, we're not _dowsing_ _rods_. I've never tracked down Ground Zero of a dark magic assault before.'

'Oh, don't worry about it.' Yami waved a hand in a way that would've been dismissive if it were anybody but Yugi he was waving at. 'It's like riding a bike.'

'...Other Me, that analogy doesn't work.'

'Close enough, though. You'll _know_ how to do it, the same way I know how to crush a psyche. Hypothetically.'

'Hmph. Yeah, while this is obviously a good use of my reasoning skills,' Kaiba muttered. 'I still have a company to run –if no longer any European bases. I'd like to get this over with as quickly as possible.'

 _Sure_. _Quickly as possible_ , Téa thought, remembering the rehearsal she was supposed to be at in two hours, and the part time job she needed to attend in six... That was going to take some explaining. It felt strange to be thinking of such normal things at a time like this but... it helped somehow. It comforted her, to think of a reality beyond this. 'Then... I guess we'd better get on with it,' she cast her eyes around the circle. '"All for one and one for all", right?'

'I... don't know, I think most of you should stay here,' Bakura mumbled.

'Well tough luck, man,' Joey reached out and ruffled Bakura's hair. 'We didn't come all this way to sit around bein' bored, and let's face it we're no safer _here_ than anywhere else, right? We're coming with ya, whether you like it or not.'

'Have to agree with the ducklings on this one, guys,' Mai smirked while jabbing a finger at Joey. 'This man can't do anything for himself without one of us there, you know.'

'Then it's settled,' Mokuba says brightly. 'We're all going.'

'Not you Mokuba,' Kaiba said, and before his brother could protest: 'You have to stay here and protect the plane.'

'The... plane?'

'Well should something go insanely wrong we _w_ _i_ _ll_ actually want to get out of here in one piece. We can't do that if a bunch of monsters have wrecked our only transport.'

'But Seto—'

' _Mokuba_.' A pause. A shuffle. 'Look, even if you were not my younger brother who shouldn't even be here in the first place, I am not sending the other other representative of Kaiba Corporation into a life or death situation. There is such a thing as protecting your assets.'

There was a time when Mokuba would've complained blue murder about this development, but now he was older, (theoretically) wiser, and a lot more understanding of the technicalities of inherited titles. He knew there were more important things than running into battle on an empty tank. '...Okay, fine. But you'd better bring them _all back_ Big Brother. In one piece.'

'...Even Wheeler?' Seto smirked. Rude, but it got a smile from Mokuba.

Mokuba sighed dramatically. 'Yeah I _guess_ so.'

'Heeeeey!'

Kaiba glimpsed at the bodyguard - who had been silent throughout most of their discussions- and a silent message appeared to pass between employer and employee. Something along the lines of: " _Take care of him or you're fired_ ", Téa guessed. The bodyguard (his name was Marcus, right?) nodded simply. Only a Kaiba Corp employee could _possibly_ be standing in this kind of situation without flinching at all, Téa thought.

'We'll have to take the rear entrance gate of the airport and travel around in that direction,' Yami said. 'We should probably find a car. And for the record, Joey, no, you are _not_ going to be the one driving.'

'Hmph.'

Tristan scratched his head. 'Okay, cool. One question, though. What do we do with _those_ guys?'

Yugi glimpsed at the four scared little monster creatures crouching behind the airport chairs. He sighed. 'They come with us, I guess.'

'Oh, okay... wait _what_?'

Yugi shrugged. 'They're attracted to me anyway, right? If you try and keep them away then they might get... violent.'

Mai raised an eyebrow. 'If they get too close and lose control over whatever humanity they still have, hun, they might attack us anyway.'

Yugi shrugged. 'A Maybe is better than a Certainty, in this case, Mai.'

Yami was gritting his teeth so hard that Téa could almost _feel_ his molars grinding. 'I suppose that's for the best. You—' (The creatures shuffled in response to Yami's voice.) 'Come _here_.'

More shuffling, uncertain gazes looked at Yami through not-quite-human eyes, highlighted by torches. Aside from that, they didn't move. 'I said _here_.'

'Yami, they're not dogs,' Yugi sighed and knelt down on the floor, on their eye level. 'Come on, guys. Come with us. We're going to fix this.'

There was a faint, unsure hissing amongst the monsters (people? Whatever) when Yugi reached out to them, but when he stood, they took a tentative step towards him, as if torn between approaching and staying at a safe distance.

'Yugi, the living Bug Zapper,' Kaiba mutters, watching as the creatures hover around them at arm's length.

Téa tried very, very hard not to let that analogy freak her out.

* * *

 **Location: Domino City Airport.**

 **Time: 08:35 am**

Serenity was biting her nails.

She was rather annoyed with herself for this. It was a habit she developed while in hospital, wrapped in bandages and _bored_ out of her skull, and one she had been trying to get out of ever since. However, knowing that her brother was trapped somewhere on the other side of the planet while shadow magic bore down on him like a dark sea, was not helping her nerves.

It was nice of Duke to come for her and drive her to the airport, even if it meant sharing a car with that... strange _not_ - _Bakura_ the whole time. He didn't look like he was going to go away any time soon, so Serenity figured she would just have to get used to it.

But really, that wasn't what was bothering her. What was bothering her was that she still had no idea what had happened to her brother.

Duke had informed them that there were not, apparently, any flights going towards Europe (Serenity figured they should've already realised that) and quite frankly, she had no idea how sitting around amidst a throng of nervous, confused passengers was going to help anyone. Every television screen which wasn't showing a list of delayed and current flight plans was showing an image of a different news channel, and every last one was tuned into events taking place at the Vienna border. Serenity was trying not to look.

'Well that's another dead end,' Serenity looked up at the sound of Duke's voice, while trying pointedly _not_ to look at the _other_ person walking along sides him, dressed in strange robes and with unkempt hair. 'They're really not letting us get out of here. There are no flights heading to the western hemisphere at _all right_ now. Even my sponsors won't let me take out a jet. They say it's not covered by our _insurance_ ,' Duke snorted.

'Then... they're really all alone out there,' Serenity whispered.

'Hey don't worry about it. This is your brother we're talking about, right? He's dealt with worse than a little European magic crisis hasn't he?'

'I... I know.'

Duke sank down into the plastic chair besides her patted her on the shoulder in a way that was clearly supposed to be encouraging. She'd known it deep down of course. She'd known there was no real _way_ to get to her brother and her friends out there but still...

'Then don't stress. We'll think of something. I'm gonna... I dunno grab us a coffee and check with the help desk again, okay? You. Just... you behave, alright?' He glared at Not-Bakura firmly for a long moment, and whatever he wanted to say to him passed between them with nothing more than a look. Not-Bakura sneered as Duke walked away from them, leaving Not-Bakura alone with Serenity.

There was a long, cold moment of silence. 'So, I remember you, don't I, little mouse?' Not-Bakura said, eventually. 'You're the foolish mutt's kid sister. The one with the eyes, eh?'

Serenity shudders. 'My eyes are fine now.'

'Glad to hear it,' Not-Bakura said. Though he didn't _sound_ as if he cared. 'I'd hate for you not to be able to see the darkness that awaits us. You realise, of course, that you're probably doomed, regardless of which continent we're on?'

'I know that,' Serenity said uncertainly, shifting from biting her nails to picking at the fabric of her chair.

Not-Bakura stared at her for what felt like forever, and then sat down heavily in the seat beside her. He glared at someone staring at him as they passed by and folded his arms behind his head, the very picture of nonchalance and arrogance.

Serenity was quite certain she didn't _like_ this person one bit. But then, she supposed that she shouldn't. She knew all about what Not-Bakura did when he was still a part of the real Bakura's body. She knew what kind of person he was... what kind of _creature_...

She wondered what the darkness he spoke of would even do to him when it came.

'A-and what about you... Bakura?' Serenity asked, not even trying to guess at his real name. 'Why... why do you want to go out there?'

Not-Bakura's lip tweaked into a faint, strangely genuine smile. 'Let's just say that something belonging to me is currently following Yugi Motou around like a puppy, little mouse. And one way or another, I will get him back.'

Serenity didn't dare to ask more questions.

* * *

 **Location: Flight Bound for Heathrow International Airport, London.**

 **Time: 2:00 am.**

' _Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain. As you may be aware we are... experiencing some difficulties with our current flight plan...'_

There was not a great deal that could be said about in-flight entertainment at the best of times. But given that currently, the airport's idea of it was to broadcast the current events in Europe to everyone in earshot, Marik wasn't surprised that almost everyone had switched off the small televisions attached to their chairs. They were also ignoring the voice of the captain, coming through the speakers.

 _'We encourage all passengers to not be concerned. Information on the situation in Europe is being provided as quickly as it becomes available. Unfortunately, our flight plan has been diverted-_

Oh, _that_ got everyone paying attention. Passengers around the Ishtar's began muttering anxiously. Rishid bit his lower lip.

 _'We've just been informed that the UK's International Heathrow Airport is no longer considered safe for landing. As a result this plane shall be detouring to Washington DC, North America. Repeat, that is Washington DC, North America...'_

Oh, great servants of Ra, Marik sucked in a breath and glanced at his sister. Ishizu's face was the picture of serenity... almost as if she had known that this was coming. The anxious groan that went through the cabin was practically tangible. 'Sister did he just say...'

'That this flight is no longer going to the UK?' Ishizu said. 'Yes Marik, that's exactly what he said.'

Marik cursed under his breath. 'Damn it. We should've expected this. Washington DC is hundreds of miles further away that England! We'll be even farther away from them that we already would've been!'

But there is not much we can do about it, master Marik,' Odion said evenly with a voice that betrays not one ounce of his inner fear or turmoil. 'All we can do is go where this flight takes us.'

Marik sighed, flopping back in his chair in defeat as the captain's message was barked out again in several different languages. 'And after all the trouble we went through to get on this flight in the first place.'

Ishizu said nothing to this. She merely stared dejectedly at the chair in front of her and rubbed her fingers around her neck.

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport, Car Park C.**

 **Time: 01:44 pm**

The monsters were everywhere.

For the most part she couldn't actually _see_ them, but still Téa knew they were there. She can feel their very essence crawling on the back of her neck. It was hard for her to imagine that those creatures could ever have been human... that they might _be_ human again, if they could only survive long enough to put all this right.

'You realise this counts as stealing, right?' she muttered, watching as Joey continued to mess around with the wires and cables he'd torn out of the eight-seater jeep's control panel.

'Nah, this is just borrowin', I swear, we'll put it right back when we're done.'

'What I want to know is how you can hotwire a car in the first place, Joey,' Yugi muttered, though he must already know the answer – Joey was a gang member once, after all.

'I don't care how he _does it,_ so long as he hurries up,' Kaiba muttered, tapping the steering wheel impatiently and trying pointedly to ignore the fact Joey was half on top of him trying to reroute the wiring.

'Heh, figures huh? The fancy genius corporation guy doesn't know how to _hotwire a car_.'

'What do you expect, mutt? _Stealing_ has never been on my work agenda.'

'Heh. Nah, not _now i_ t hasn't, but we all remembers the old days, Kaiba.'

'What's _that_ supposed to mean.'

'Nothin'... just gonna trust your _latest_ theme park doesn't have any _death traps_ hidden in it, huh?'

There was an incredibly awkward silence. If Téa hadn't known better, she would've thought Kaiba looked slightly embarrassed.

'Joey, Please,' Yugi sighed. He was looking uneasily at the roof the jeep where - to everyone's discomfort - the creatures had gathered. It reminded Téa of possums, in a strange way, She had seen them scurrying around the trashcans near her New York apartment - pups clinging to their mother's back in a way that was somehow gross and adorable at the same time.

She reached down to surreptitiously squeeze Yugi's hand. 'You okay?' she whispered.

'Considering I'm being followed by the world's strangest procession of ugly ducklings?' Yugi sighed. 'I guess...'

Téa chuckled. 'You should be used to that though, right? I mean, if it's not them, or us, then it's a bunch of fangirls.'

She could see Yugi blushing even in the dim light of the jeep. 'W-what? No I... I don't have _fangirls_ , Téa...'

'Oh suuure you don't,' Téa smirked. 'Those girls totally hang around outside of the game shop after school because they're _really_ passionate about duel monster booster packs.'

'W-well maybe they are!' Yugi caught her smirk and his face changed - embarrassment fading to amusement. 'They _might_ be. We sell a lot of them...'

'Yeah, and even _more_ when you're behind the counter,' Téa chuckled. For the briefest of moments things almost seemed normal. She felt Yugi squeezing her hand back.

'Téa you shouldn't have come here...'

'Well what did you _expect_ me to do?' Téa traced a line over the back of his hand - the shape of a smiling face. 'Just leave you both in this mess?'

'You didn't let me finish...' Yugi said. 'You shouldn't have come but... But I'm glad you did.'

Before she could come up with a response, the car engine sputtered into life, and Joey flopped back in the front passenger seat with a grin of triumph. 'Ha! There we go, guys. Savin' the world is a-go.'

Téa shuffled in her seat 'Just so long as we don't run into any more of those... things?'

'I don't think we have much choice there,' Yami muttered, and Téa was vaguely reassured by the fact that he reached over Yugi to squeeze her shoulder.

The car pulled out of the darkened car park far too easily...

'Why's Kaiba get to drive anyway?' Tristan muttered. Then yelped as one of Yugi's monsters -which were all still clinging to the car rooftop- leaned in through the window and got a bit too close for comfort.

It was going to be a long ride.

* * *

 _...They could smell it._

 _The light. The fire, the heatpainwarmthhopefear of the few people left in this lost city that still had magic pulsing brightly in their souls._

 _It's stench burned through their skin, even from so far away. Some of their kind had already gone to it willingly. They couldn't stand it, and yet they couldn't look away. The compulsion burned within them, awakening human instincts most of them did not even remember they had._

 _At one point they had been human: wives: bored shop assistants, witty tour guides, artists with their heads bent over sketchbooks... but all that remained of them now was the endless pull towards light._

 _A catch twenty two. Their human selves drew them towards brightness while their new, inhuman instincts struggled to drag away from it._

 _And they knew, every last one of them, that they had only two choices – either they went to it, or eventually, the light would come to them._

 _Their human instincts won out in the end. But only barely, and not for any good reasons._


	12. Chapter Eleven - Circus of Doubt

**Chapter 11 - Circus of Doubt.**

* * *

 **Location: Vienna Highway, en route to the Danube**

 **Time: 02:01 pm**

They were going as fast as they could, given the state of the streets of Vienna. And Vienna had, from the looks of things, never been particularly big on road travel anyway. Probably something to do with all the canals. Half the main streets were blocked off and Joey had turned the map over so many times that Yugi was sure he didn't have any idea where they were going.

'Right, it's a right here!'

'Mutt, do you even know how to _read_ that map?'

'Don't take me for an idiot, Kaiba, it ain't my fault these squiggly lines all look the same! I know where I'm— Uh, no wait, go back, we were supposed to take a left at... never mind.'

'Oh for- hand the map to someone else, Wheeler!'

And then there were the monsters to deal with.

Because there was no _way_ they were going to get out of the airport without using fog-lights and those same lights were drawing monsters to them more effectively than either Ryou or Yugi alone. Yugi was doing his best not to look out of the window and risk catching a glimpse of them - gathered in their hundreds along the roadsides. They came from every corner, ever sewer, every patch of darkness they passed by, drawn to the light of the moving vehicle and shifting in it like ghosts.

Disturbingly solid ghosts that thud quite loudly when they hit the jeep's fender.

'Ah— Kaiba, be careful!' Yami hissed.

'Do you want to get though this alive or not?' Kaiba snapped, turning the steering wheel and veering into a hard left. 'Enough with the back seat driving!'

'Aw, man, this is like something out of a video-game,' Tristan groaned. 'Only a million times worse! At least in the video-games you don't have to worry about killin' the monsters! The whole _point_ is to kill the monsters!'

'Oh cool it, Tristan, you'd think we'd never been up against demons before!' Téa was clutching an overhead handhold in her attempt not to be sent flying through a window.

'Not ones that've taken human form after bein' poisoned by shadow magic we haven't,' Joey snapped.

'Pipe down, Mutt! Yami, how far to the river?'

'Not far. I'm guessing... a few miles.'

'You call that _not_ _far_?'

'In terms of magical energy displacement it isn't, Kaiba, there are some species that can _teleport_ that distance!' Yami snaps.

Yugi groaned impatiently. 'Guys seriously, this isn't the time!'

Téa was... laughing. She wasn't entirely sure why. 'Oh, god I missed you guys... I can't imagine _why_ , but—'

'Save the speeches, Gardner!' Kaiba snapped, and that was the last thing he said before his expression changed from enraged to horrified, as one of the creatures climbing on the hood of the vehicle blocked his view for just a few seconds too long and, for the second time so far today, Yugi finds himself being thrown clean off the road.

* * *

 **Location: Flight Bound for Heathrow International Airport, Currently Redirected to Washington DC.**

 **Time: 2:10 am.**

'My momma lives there.'

Odion felt a chill race up his spine as he turned to face the small child sitting in the seat alongside his. She couldn't be any older than five – the same age as master Marik was when he taken on his duty as Tomb keeper. Too young.

'...Oh?'

'Yeah, she moved after she and daddy decided not to stay together anymore. And I stayed with daddy.'

Odion had no idea what to say to that. If his siblings heard the conversation they paid it no heed, and frankly, Odion wasn't used to interacting with children under any circumstance. Not normal children, anyhow.

'I am sure your mother is fine.' It was a lie, but occasionally, the truth could be a painful thing. The girl's father hushed her, said something about not bothering the other passengers, and the girl fell silent, clutching the older man's arm in a death grip.

Odion grit his teeth, clenched his fists, and tried not to think about children being dragged into a hell they didn't deserve to face.

'There are too many people involved in this,' Marik muttered into his ear. 'It's like the end of the world all over again, Odion. The darkness keeps spreading, it won't stop.'

Only twenty thousand miles to Washington DC...

* * *

 **Location: Vienna Highway.**

 **Time: 02:19 pm**

Another extremely useful thing about adrenaline –it meant that Yami's shadow magic activated very, _very_ spontaneously. Fast enough for a wall of darkness to cushion them as their vehicle was tossed onto its side and juddered to a halt against the pavement. Fast enough to prevent Téa's head from colliding hard against a broken window and to keep Bakura from being thrown out of his chair.

Joey still ended up on top of Kaiba, but given the circumstances...

'Wheeler... I'm gonna give you about... three seconds... to get _off_ of me.'

'Urgh, hey, man don't think I'm here by choice... Everyone okay? Mai? Téa? Bakura? Yuge?'

'Think so,' Téa croaked.

'Urgh... Same here,' Mai muttered. 'I think I lost a heel.'

'Yes, I think I'm fine, thank you.'

'Nggh. Yeah, other me, I'm alright.'

'M'fine too, Joe, thanks fer askin'.'

'Aw, pipe down Tristan, you were farthest away from the bit of the car that hit the wall, weren't ya? Anyway I'm sure you were cushioned by Mai's hair—' _THWAP!_ — 'Ow!'

Yugi took a second to gather his bearings, suppress the pain in his spine, and look around.

At some point, they'd lost one of the monster-people that had been clinging to the roof of the car. The other two were now limping back, limbs twisted at even more precarious angles than they had been before, but none of them seemed to feel the pain of what msut surely be shattered limbs. They stumbled about blindly, crashing into each other and keening as they felt their way back to the light. They found Bakura first, and Yugi saw the kneeling boy repress a shudder as they reached out to touch his hair, still torn between pulling away as they do so. Living Bug Zapper. _Right_.

'A-ah, um... uh... g-good shadow people,' Bakura murmured. 'B-behave now.'

'As my partner recently reminded me, Bakura, they aren't dogs,' Yami sounded vaguely amused as he helped Yugi to his feet and turned to offer aid to Téa. Téa, however, appeared to ignore his outstretched hand for one long moment. 'Téa? Are you alright?'

'...Look.'

She was gazing at the monsters. And now so was everybody else, and... They weren't behaving _normally_. Not that Normal was exactly the first word you'd come up with to describe them anyway. There ware... fumbling, staggering, pushing against the walls in the manner of someone finding their way by touch alone, rubbing at their faces, and making small, painful, keening sounds that it almost hurt to hear.

'Man, what's _with_ those things?' Joey asks.

You mean asides from the obvious? Kaiba said.

'Actually _yeah_ , Kaiba, asides from the obvious,' Joey muttered, and something in his tone of voice made Kaiba look up and pay attention for once. 'What's _with_ them? It's like they dunno where they are.'

'I think they're going blind or something,' Téa whispered.

'They probably are, now,' Yami says softly. 'The darkness transforming them has already destroyed half their senses; the ones it deems useless like taste, and touch. All they can feel now is light, and the absence of it. And you know what happens when you stare into the sun for too long.'

It was a pitiful sight. The creatures fumbled in the darkness, seeming barely human at all now in their reactions and behaviour. Almost all signs of their former sentience had gone. Yugi shivered. ' _It's not fair... They didn't deserve this._ Nobody _in this place deserved it.'_

'I don't get it,' Tristan muttered, wiping a spot of blood from his chin. 'I mean... why did they come to Yugi anyway? The rest of em' still seem hell bent on trying to destroy us.'

'Well... I guess I kind of held them here,' Yugi said, softly, now gazing at the fumbling creatures again. 'I used Yami's real name, right? Once they'd heard it they were bound to it, the same way they'd be bound by shadow magic.'

Kaiba glared. 'For them I bet that's like being bound to a hot stove. You could kill them, just by being too close. '

'They were going to kill _us_ Kaiba,' Yami snaps. 'We didn't have a choice.'

'You could have destroyed them. That was an option. It would've been less painful for them than _this_.'

Yami and Kaiba exchanged a strange almost-glare. .

'Why Kaiba,' Mai says in a voice dripping with sarcasm (her mood apparently made none the better by the blood dripping down her forehead. 'I wasn't aware that you'd taken up growing a conscience in your spare time.'

'Oh for goodness sake,' Téa snapped, and her voice hasd the same affect it always had on them. 'This isn't the time. Look if we _can_ still get to the river then... then everything will be alright. We can help... them. We can fix the darkness, can't we, Yami?'

She looked at Yami with such a firm, unyielding expression that saying no to her would be like telling a child he couldn't have a new bike for Christmas - whether they could or couldn't, bringing yourself to say no would be difficult. In truth Téa knew Yami didn't know how likely their actions were to fix all of this. It might just leave all of Europe a wasteland filled with the bodies of the dead.

Somehow Yami had a feeling they wouldn't be able to duel this force into submission, and _light_ powers were Yugi's department. '...of course. Téa's right, there's still a chance.'

The thought seemed to cheer them, if only for a second... and then a chill swept through them all, even though the air was calm. Yugi shiverrf, sensing what was coming before anybody else. Except for Bakura, who was now looking at Yugi with a scared expression.

'Uh, yeah I hate to rain on the self confidence parade...' Mai coughs. 'But...'

Whatever Mai's "but" was going to be, nobody would find out, because the next minute, a heavy white shape smashed against a nearby wall, screeching at them fit to wake the dead.

* * *

 **Domino City Airport, 09:15 am**

'When I was very little, I got lost in a park,' Serenity said quietly.

'Really? How terrible for you,' Not-Bakura muttered.

'Well actually yes... at the time, it was very frightening. It was called Marbre Park: it wasn't the kind of park with swings or seesaws, but the kind, with picnic tables and dark tunnels through the trees. I used to love going there before mom and dad got divorced.'

Silence. Well, it was better than another retort she supposed.

'I really wanted to go that day, and the park wasn't far from my aunt's so off I went. I was so silly... Of course the park doesn't seem _nearly_ so big now, but at the time I was very small. I was out there for hours, and it was getting dark. I hated the dark...'

'So you should.'

'I-If you say so.' Serenity scowled. This conversation wasn't going the way she'd hoped, but then, she hadn't expected much else from Bakura's other-self. She wished Duke would hurry up and get back with the coffee (even though she didn't especially like coffee, she hadn't the heart to say so). And then she smiled faintly as she remembered. '...And then Joey came and found me.'

'Yeah, I here that's a real weakness in the breed of older brothers,' Not-Bakura rolled his eyes again, but Serenity was resolute. He was going to hear this, whether he took it seriously or not.

'That's just it. Joey wasn't even _living_ with us at the time. He was three cities away, back in Domino. But sooner or later mom must've had to call my dad and tell him I was missing, and of course Joey found out. He was only seven years old, but he must've taken money from dad's wallet or something. He took two buses all the way to Marbre Park to look for me. He was the one who found me. He said...' she paused frowning. 'It'll sound strange, but he said that he _felt_ his way to me. He could sense me in a way nobody else could. He found me.'

There was a long moment of silence. 'And I suppose you're going somewhere with this, hm?'

'Yes,' Serenity said, drawing herself upright. 'Because this is the same thing. 'Because that's what I'm doing _right_ now, I think... I can feel him, even though he's so far away. If I believe that we can find him, then we will.'

'Really?' Not-Bakura didn't look convinced... but he didn't look entirely sceptical either. Serenity prided herself on being able to read people quite well. Even spirits from other worlds. 'If you say so, Mouse. But neither of our _special ones_ are stuck in a harmless human park in the middle of some boring woodland, are they?'

'It doesn't matter,' Serenity said, 'Wherever they are the principle is the same. I'm sure you understand that better than you claim you do... Bakura.'

Not-Bakura opened his mouth as if to say something, but shut it again when he saw Duke stumbling back to them through the crowds of people with coffee cups grasped in both hands.

Serenity believed in her brother. She grabbed hold of that thought and clung to it tightly with both hands. They would be alright. She knew it.

* * *

 **Vienna Highway. 02:20 am**

The creature looked like what would happen if you took about a thousand one-time human bodies and merged them into one. Many faces, screaming out of one form. Many grasping hands like stringy fur against its skin, reaching for something they could never hope to grasp.

'Guess we didn't take a few things into account,' Yami muttered. He was looking up at the thing, watching as it shrieked and stumbled and clambered over the building, smashing rock beneath pearly white claws which didn't look as if they should even resemble hands. Its eyes burned empty in its head, its face stretched in disturbing angles. The other creatures gathered around Yugi shrieking in panic, sensing its presence.

'Like what?!' Téa wailed.

'...Like the fact that there's a Circus somewhere around here.' Yami replied.

It took them a few moments to figure out what that meant. That this creature didn't look like the other once-humans because it probably never _had_ been.

'Alright, so what the hell was that in a past life?' Kaiba glared.

'My guess? Something big. An elephant, maybe.'

This probably would've sounded a lot _funnier_ if the creature hadn't looked capable of goring them to death with one sweep before tearing them apart with a million grasping claws; if it hadn't been clambering over buildings like a spider, smashing everything in its path and shrieking in a way that sounded like a bird gone horribly, horribly wrong.

'You've got to be kidding!' Mai snapped. 'Yami, you're telling us that... that _thing's_ a mutant pachyderm?!'

'Unless there's some _other_ creature in Vienna that could conceivably look like _that_ and be _that_ big after being infected with shadow magic, then yes,' Yami sounded calm, but the hand gripping Yugi's said otherwise.

'We can discuss it later, let's get the hell out of here!' Bakura snapped, in an way that probably would have stunned them into silence had they not had bigger things to worry about.

They turned together and ran.


	13. Chapter Twelve - Samantha

**Chapter Twelve - Samantha.**

* * *

 **Time: 02:25 pm**

Joey had to run away from a giant bolder once.

Really.

It had been one of Pegasus's kooky tricks when they visited his island for the Duellist Kingdom tourney. They'd been stuck underground someplace, and a giant _rock_ had started rolling down a tunnel after them. It had been just like in the movies. Of course _that_ bolder had turned out to be inflatable, and they could all look back on the day and laugh about it now because it was really kind of funny. It did, however, give them a good warning as to the kind of man they were dealing with on that island (as if him stealing peoples souls and sticking them in duel monster cards hadn't been enough of a clue...)

If Joey could compare this to anything, then it would be that moment. Except without the humour.

Unfortunately, it turned out that one of the most notable things the creature had lost during its mutation via shadow magic was the slow speed of your average pachyderm. As well as the associated lack of mobility. The creature _charged_ , and the noise that followed it was like something torn out of a nightmare. Joey kept glimpsing every which way, trying to catch sight of where his friends are in the darkness. And then there were the _monsters_ ; _Yugi's_ monsters, shifting through the alleyways as if they were skipping time itself to keep up with the Light of Yugi's presence.

Not that they had to try hard. Yugi _really_ wasn't going fast enough. None of them were going fast enough.

Kaiba, now, maybe _he_ was managing it, and damn it, how can he open his mouth and talk when Joey can barely catch his breath. 'Wheeler! We need to split up, give it more than one target to follow!'

You... _kidding_? Joey gasped. 'That's like the first rule of the movies, dude... you never _split the party!'_

'This isn't a movie!' Kaiba snapped. 'And Yugi and Yami need to get to that river!'

'H-hate... to admit it... but he's got...a point,' Tristan wheezes, staggering down the staircase, trying to ignore the crumbling of rocks not so far behind them. 'I mean... s'what we do best, right? Distractions...'

'Have you not been...watching this thing?' Joey wheezed. 'If we split up... it'll just... go for them anyway, it wants the light!'

Either method seemed equally useless. They couldn't lead it away from Yugi because the monster was drawn to him like a magnet and would just utterly ignore them in favour of him. And they couldn't stay together because they were dragging one another back, forcing each other to slow down.

They could't get away from it, but there was nothing else they could do, and so they kept running, until they'd pulled away from the main roads and were racing through the zigzagging backstreets of the city, weaving in and out of one another like a maze. They have absolutely no idea if they were headed in the direction of the river. ( _Then again, if that_ thing _catches up with us, we won't have to worry about that anymore anyway.)_ Whatever this creature had once been, now it was something otherworldly and terrible, and much, _much_ faster than even a human at full strength.

Nobody was running at full strength. They were tired and hungry and lost in a world of pain and darkness messing with their heads. They couldn't go any faster than they were now. They couldn't run away.

They were all probably going to die here.

' **Ryou**!'

Joey only noticed that Ryou had tripped when he heard Yugi screaming his name and realised that Téa had stopped running and was turning back the way they came. He cursed and joined her instantly, along with Tristan, and then Kaiba was screaming at them to hurry up. There was shifting movement as the buildings shuddered and cracked all around them, forced aside by the monster's bulk.

By the time Joey got to them, there was a chain reaction in effect. Yugi was throwing himself in front of Bakura, and Yami was doing exactly the same thing with _Yugi_ , wrapping his body around them in a living shield. The monster came smashing through the buildings, raining down debris; smashed window frames, roof tiles and concrete, and a giant tusk came rising up before them, slicing through stone and steel like paper.

It missed Bakura. It missed Yugi and Yami. It _hit_ Tristan and sent him flying into a nearby wall. Then Téa was screaming again, and Joey knew that whatever happened next he was never _ever_ going to look back upon this moment and laugh.

There was panic from the other monsters as the walls crumpled around them and Téa narrowly avoided being smashed in the head by a lump of falling concrete. Joey tried to move forwards to where Tristan was, but his legs had turned to cold jelly. Then there was Kaiba running, shoving Joey aside as he charged over to where Yami was for god only knew what reason.

And then the monsters—Yugi's monsters were suddenly _there_ again, diving forwards and ripping into the creature in front of them with cries that Joey could almost believe were determined yells as they rushed between Yugi and Yami and a monster fifty times bigger than any of them. Joey watched as all three bodies of the one-time human beings were thrown aside, and heard the sickening crunch of bones against granite.

Then Yugi screamed as well. Not in fear or panic; in _anger_. The skin of his hands glistened and _exploded_ outwards, as if somebody had set fire to his body.

And then...

Well, for a long moment, everything went to hell in a hand basket. There was nothing but the light swelling and the sound of monsters screaming at the dark. And amidst all that somewhere was Yami, calling out for Yugi. Yelling his name at the top of his lungs, laced with panic.

Then Joey's world shut down and everything vanished.

* * *

'...J-Joey? Hey, Joey, snap out of it, are you alright? Joey!'

'Gurh...' Joey said.

At first that was as much of a response as he was willing to give. He didn't open his eyes, because even though it _sounded_ like Mai talking to him, the last thing he wanted to see was that warped-out pachyderm again and _man_ , he was never going to visit a zoo again for as long as he lived.

'Joey, wake up!' And _that_ sounds just like Téa. 'You're starting to freak us out!'

'Yeugh... I don't wanna wake up.' Joey blinks reluctantly and the world came slowly back into focus. 'Wakin' up hurts.'

'Oh consider yourself _lucky_ , man,' croaked Tristan from somewhere to his left. 'Least you didn't get t-thrown into a wall... Everyone here? Ryou?'

'Mmf. Y-yes, thank you. Just... give me a moment to process the fact that we were almost killed by a mutated elephant and... and I'll be fine...'

'Yeah, right. There's another one to add to the scrap book,' Joey sat up, realising this was a mistake but he figured it was too late to lie back down again anyway. ' _Urgh_. Somebody wanna explain to me why I feel like I've just had one too many turns on the Kaibaland Blue Eyes Rollercoaster before tryin' to remove my own brain with a popsicle stick?'

Mai rolled her eyes, but he could see through that. He could _see_ that she was worried sick, and hey, he'd woken up to way worse sights in the past than _that_ beautiful face glaring at him (glaring, smiling, laughing, it didn't really matter, it was still beautiful), so he figured he could deal. 'Thanks for that charming visual, honey' she sighed. _'Just_ what I needed to complete my evening.'

'What happened to the monster?'

'You mean Jumbo the Terrible?' Mai bit her lip. 'It just... gone. Yugi set the light on it, and it sort of... disintegrated.'

Joey blinked. He glanced over to Yugi, sitting nearby in silence. 'The whole thing?'

'The whole thing. Guess the little guy was just that _mad_. Or maybe _his_ power reacted with Bakura's and...' Mai shudderdc and waved her hand about in a gesture saying that she really didn't know, and didn't care. 'All that matters is it's gone now.'

Joey swallowed. 'Yugi?'

'Right here,' a voice said. Except that it was Yami's voice, _not_ Yugi's, and that was _bad_ , because Joey knew there was trouble whenever Yami felt the need to speak for his other half.

The last time Joey had seen that kind of look on Yugi's face, all wide eyed and closed off with horror, it had been during Duellist Kingdom. The look hadn't boded well there, either. Joey looked at Tristan; there was blood trickling down the side of his face, but he didn't seem to notice until Téa reached out with a tissue. The light was still crawling across Yugi's fingertips, tracing where fingerprints would've been if the fire of years' past hadn't burned most of them away. But that light was fading away steadily under Yami's touch, his shadows slowly balancing out the brightness. He didn't look up from Yugi's hands.

Yugi was staring at the place where Joey knew the monster used to be. The same spot was now occupied by Kaiba, who was crouching over something...

Correction. Over some _one_.

* * *

 **Boeing 737 direct flight to Gatwick International Airport, London, Still redirected to a completely different continent.**

 **Time: 01:13 am, (** **one hour since departure.)**

' _Good morning ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain once again, I... I'm sorry to announce that we continue to receive no word on events taking place within central Europe at this time. This flight will now proceed to New York-'_ ('what does he mean New York?' Someone behind Marik muttered to his wife in near panic. 'I thought it was Washington? He-he said we were going to Washington!') _'...and once there we will be able to get more information concerning your passage home. I apologise once again, this is a very difficult time for us all...'_

Flying, Ishizu decided, was not her favourite form of transportation.

Especially not now. Not here. Not with the strings of destiny tugging at her instincts, this way and that. New York... the man had said New York... but before he'd said the plane was diverting to Washington... did that mean the plane was having difficulty landing in the American Capital now too? No, Ishizu thought, that couldn't be it. New York was _much_ closer to Europe than Washington DC... She took a deep breath. _'We go where we are needed_ ,' she told herself in silence. She had to trust in the fates that had tugged them all onto this plane. She _had_ to believe they were going somewhere where they could help the pharaoh...

Once though, just once, Ishizu wished that the strings of fate would come with informative labels attached.

The plane was coated with an aura of gloom and uncertainty, and the atmosphere was getting to her brothers. Odion coped with this by closing his eyes and meditating in a way which emulated sleep enough for him to avoid speaking to any of the cabin crew. Marik coped by... fidgeting.

A lot.

'Marik, are you alright?'

The jolt through his shoulders when she spoke to him told Ishizu in advance that his answer would be a lie. 'O-of course, sister. Why wouldn't I be?'

'Given our current situation there are many reasons.' Ishizu said, and Marik sighed, hand creeping closer to the Millennium Rod, as if out of instinct. 'Not least of which being the fact that you got us onto this flight using a Millennium Item.'

'You are never going to let me forget that, are you?' Marik sighed. 'It's nothing. Just... all the darkness in the air, Ishizu. All the darkness of people's thoughts and minds... it's probably getting to me a little. Something is _wrong_ , and I think for the first time in many years, _everyone_ in the world is aware of it.'

'Yes, that is understandable.' This was no ordinary flight, and there was not a single passenger on board the plane who didn't know it. Ishizu has taken note of how many seats were empty which shouldn't be.

'You chose this flight for a reason, didn't you, big sister?' Marik said, eventually. Ishizu had to note a trace of desperation in his voice. 'You must have... Tell me, do you sense something? Is it... your item?'

'The Necklace has no power for me now,' Ishizu admitted quietly. Truthfully it hadn't worked for years. Not since that day in the temple when the Pharaoh Atem had vanished into the land of the dead.

'Ah, but the powers of the Millennium Items don't wear off so quickly, sister,' Marik smirked 'you're aware of _something_ , aren't you? That's why we're on this plane now, even if we can't reach Europe.'

Ishizu took a breath. 'It's... possible. We may not be heading into the heart of the danger, but we are heading into _something_ , brother,' Ishizu attempted to settle in her chair. 'I am sure of it.'

The small child in the next seat over threw a lollipop directly into Odion's lap and grinned at him. Odion sniffed, but otherwise maintained his meditative state, and Marik chuckled lightly, breaking the gloom for just a fraction of a second to hand the candy back to her.

* * *

 **Vienna, Somewhere.**

 **Time: 02:45 pm**

' _Wer...wer sin... Wer sind Sie?'_

One of Yugi's monster's wasn't dead yet.

That was... kind of scary, but not entirely unexpected, now that Joey thought about it. The creatures just didn't seem to know how to _die_ , unless Bakura or Yugi set their Light on them; and then they burned out like moths in candlelight. Just like that giant freak must have done, because otherwise, Joey couldn't explain where it had gone. Otherwise, they were basically impossible to stop. Break off their limbs? Who cared? They'd keep coming. Rip them to shreds? Still _nothing_ stopped them moving.

What _was_ unexpected was that it was... talking, opening its eyes (if they still counted as eyes) wide and bright and looking _right_ at Kaiba, like a deer in headlights. Otherwise, it was lying very, very still. It had one _handnothand_ gripping Kaiba's sleeve tighter than any human should be able to.

The crunched up monster was _talking_ to Kaiba. In a voice all broken up and falling apart, just like the rest of its body, but... still _talking_.

' _...Ein... Ein fruend?'_

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. '…Ja.'

There was silence for a moment as Joey processed the fact that he had no idea what Kaiba just said. The creature's jaw was coming away from its skull, and yet somehow it managed to form words. Like it knew this was the last chance it'd have. _'…Ma...man hat mich beraubt? '_

'… _Nein. I..._ ' Kaba hesitated.

He _actually_ hesitated, and Joey blinked

Everyone was staring at the scene playing out before them in horrified fascination. 'W-wait, Kaiba you can _talk to_ it?'

'She's speaking German,' Kaiba said blankly and Joey frowned a little when Kaiba didn't add his usual "you idiot" to the end. Kaiba cut off when the creature's free clawed hand reached out to him, it's fingers curling against his left cheek, close to the eye. Kaiba didn't flinch.

'She's… a _she_?' Tristan whispered. Joey felt his insides quiver. Because now he remembered. They were human, weren't they? Or else they _used_ to be.

'She's a she.' Kaiba nodded in confirmation. Then he was speaking German again, all the while locked in the gaze of the almost-but-not-quite-human lying in the dirt. Joey felt Téa's hand grip his bicep, as she hung onto him, shaking.

' _I-Isidor… Wo ist... Isidor?'_

' _Isidor?'_

The creature breathed thickly, as if its lungs (or whatever remained of them) were filled with fluid. Joey could see its bones cracking and breaking into pieces even as it lay there... and was it just his imagination, or did that split-wide, lipless face of hers just split wider into a smile?

' _I-Isidor... Is..._ Wo ist… _vas ist lohs,_ _Ich habe verpaßt_...'

Kaiba shook his head. _'Es tut mir leid . Ich spreche sehr wenig Deutsch. Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?'_

' _Isidor...'_ The face-not-face of the woman twisted somewhat, into an almost frown. ' _Mien... er ist mein ehemann.. Wir... wir... Meinehemann... wir letzte Woche geheiratet.'_

Kaiba said nothing. He let her keep a tight hold on him, and now Joey's brain was doing _back flips_. Because how could it be that this strange, broken and mangled body, with one hand clutching Seto Kaiba –of all people's– coat, like he was a lifeline... how could she ever have been seen as just a monster?

'Man, I have no idea what they're saying,' Tristan muttered. 'Someone gimme a translation?'

'She's on her honeymoon,' Kaiba said. For once, his tone had absolutely no aloofness to it, and Joey felt the temperature around him drop. Which kind of explained Téa's shivering, and Yugi...

Yugi hadn't moved an inch from where he sat, clutched in Yami's arm.

The woman's body gave a violent _crackle_... a full body shudder, like her bones were splintering from the inside. She was crying. No, not _crying_ – bleeding. She _did_ have blood, but it was pure white and pouring out of her eyes and mouth. ' _…Ich habe... I..., wo jeder ist, wo... Es war ein Junge... wer...ist er sich sicher?'_ The eyes widened, suddenly even more intensely afraid than before. ' _Einen junge... Isidor?_ '

Kaiba… looked as if he was lost for words in any language. He was biting his lower lip. His eyes were as hard as ever but that _lip_ … that's what's distracting. Joey can't look away from it. It was something he had never seen a Kaiba do. Something _nervous_. _'…Wie heißt du?'_

' _Mich…?'_ she laughs. At least, Joey thought it was _supposed_ to be a laugh. It sounded so _strange_. Like a gurgling tap. _'Samantha… Samantha Rilando._ _Nein. Nein, Samantha Bäcker. Wie heißt du?'_

'…Saman-ta?' Joey knew that was a name. The creature – _woman_ , Joey reminded himself, a woman on here honeymoon– coughed, and the whiteness that was previously light poured from her mouth now, as well as her eyes. Téa was clutching Joey tighter but Kaiba still didn't flinch.

 _'…_ _Bist... du aus China_ _?'_

'…Nein. Ich bin aus Japan.'

 _'Aber ... du bist nur ein Junge_ _'_

'Sei ruhig. Hilfe kommt,' Kaibna said. That was the last thing Kaiba said for a few moments. Joey didn't get a _word_ of it, but somehow he still sensed that at least part of it was a lie.

Kaiba was lying so it could die more easily.

Then. 'Yugi,' Kaiba said. 'Come here.'

Yami glared at Kaiba for a fraction of a second, hands still gripping Yugi's shoulders protectively. But then Yugi looked up. 'W-what?'

'I said come _here_ ,' Kaiba repeated, though his voice... wasn't as harsh as Joey was used to.

For a moment, nobody moved. Then Yugi took a deep breath, and half crawled-half staggered over to Kaiba, Yami's hand was still gripping his arm, fear written on both of their faces.

A sick feeling curdled in Joey's stomach, because the thing -woman- was _smiling_ again as Yugi got closer. Her eyes weren't bleeding anymore and as Joey watched, he saw her flesh crumbling. Destroyed, Joey realised, by nothing more than Yugi's proximity. He hadn't realised it, but Yugi was still bright. It was like poison to them, a poison they all wanted and hated in equal measures.

' _Ah. Gut_ …'

And then her smile broke apart. Her bones turned to dust, and then the rest of her face crumbled away, along with the hand on Kaiba's cheek and the rest of the body attached to that arm. She faded into the dirt, and was gone altogether within a matter of moments, nothing left of her but tattered cloth and dusty bone.

Kaiba brushed the dust away without, but the weird thing was, he didn't look the slightest bit disgusted. His expression was set in something Joey could only assume was determination.

Téa let out a breath. She must've been holding it, because now she was gasping and trying to catch it again.

'Hilfe kommt,' Joey repeats the words. It was the softest, quietest, _calmest_ thing he'd ever heard Seto Kaiba say.

Shame he didn't understand a word of it.

'Yugi?' it was Téa who spoke next, her voice breaking the silence. Silence, that was, unless you counted the noises of the shadows all around them. Yugi sat quite still, with Yami's arms wrapped around his shoulders; touching their foreheads together and whispering in Yugi's ear, words in a hidden, ancient language. Joey knew that even if he were close enough to hear them, he wouldn't understand a word Yami was saying. He turned away and tried not to be embarrassed.

Kaiba stood upright and absently brushed dust from his sleeve. 'That was the right thing to do, Yugi; get a grip. It wasn't the first one to die and it won't be the last.'

B _ut it was the first that got itself killed for him,_ Joey thought. Because that was what that was, wasn't it? Whatever was left of that woman's spirit had tried to _help_ them... She had tried to protect Yugi. And the rest of them... they had disintegrated all together.

 _...Why_?

'She's dead, isn't she?' Bakura whispered, even though the comment seemedunnecessary. They all _knew_ she was dead. The look in his eyes was deep and haunted, and Joey remembered, back on the airport runway, Bakura raising his hands to the sky and killing _dozens_ of those creatures in one fell swoop. And now to hear one speaking with a human voice and human words... 'I never thought. I didn't—'

'S'okay.' Bakura,' Tristan muttered. 'It really is. You couldn't help it.'

'I _did_ that, I...'

' _No_ , you didn't. That was Yami Bakura's doing and you know it,' Tristan hissed, pulling the handkerchief away from his forehead and reaching out to grip Bakura's arm, _making_ him look up.

'But there were dozens of them. _Hundreds_ —'

'Bakura, _relax_.'

And somehow or other Bakura did. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Joey turned his attention back to Yugi. Yami has pulled away now and Yugi was nodding slightly, as if in response to whatever Yami had said.

It was only now that Joey noticed Kaiba.

Kaiba's clothes were wet and dripping black water. As if the women had dissolved into a liquid when she fell apart and _ew, that's just gross_ , but Kaiba didn't seem to care. As Joey watched, the water fell from his fingers and hit the ground. 'Look.' Kaiba said, nodding as the trickle of black water slowly spread across the pavement...

Then, as they all watched it... the water began to rise. Began slipping away into the darkness of the alleyways, as if drawn by some kind of magnetic force.

When he listened, Joey could hear the faint sound of water running.

'That... that noise—'

'Is the sound of the river.' Kaiba said, watching as the black pearl of liquid continued to rush across stone in the direction of the sound. That must be it, Joey thought, feeling the pounding in his chest lessen for a moment, then start up again even stronger than before. The darkness in the water, the thing that had created Samantha, was running back to its source, now that it's host had been destroyed. They were nearly there.

Kaiba whirled around to face thm all. 'You can have your emotional outburst later,' he said dryly. 'For now we still have a task to complete. _Yugi_ , we need you to focus.'

Yami stopped muttering and pulled away. He was glaring daggers in Kaiba's direction, but Yugi just whispered something and gently pushed Yami away. 'Y-yeah.' He lets out a shaking breath and staggered to his feet, one leg curling slightly underneath him. He only stayed upright because Yami was stood beside him, acting as support. 'It's just...Kaiba, how do you say _thank you,_ in German?'

Kaiba stared at him for a moment. ' _Danke_.'

'Right...' Yugi looks back at the place where the _monstercreatureSamantha_ had been barely a moment earlier. _'Danke_ , Samantha.'

* * *

 _ **I apologise for the terrible translated German, I didn't have time or disposable income to find a better translator than google.**_


	14. Chapter Thirteen - Blink of an Eye

**Chapter Thirteen - Blink of an Eye.**

* * *

" _Thirty minutes the blink of an eye  
Thirty minutes to alter our lives  
Thirty minutes to make up my mind  
Thirty minutes to finally decide."_

\- tATu, Thirty Minutes.

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen.**

 **Vienna. 03:00 am**

'You pulled a real stunt back there, Wheeler,' Kaiba said.

Only now did Joey realise the two of them had fallen back. Bakura, Yugi, and Yami were basically leading the party now, guiding them through streets they'd never seen, following the darkness towards the river. Téa and Mai were right behind them, sticking close together. Then there was Tristan, then Kaiba. Who was walking alongside Joey and, unusually, showing no obvious sign of wanting to walk faster to get _away_ from Joey.

This was, in itself, pretty damn weird. 'Say what?'

'You refused to let us split up, and look what almost happened.' Kaiba said.

'Oh like you'd have _listened_ to me?'

'If Yugi hadn't pulled that sudden burst of inexplicable power –which I _still_ want an explanation for, by the way – out of god only knows where, we'd all be dead now. You realise that, don't you?'

'Sure I realise that. Little hard not to when you've gotta giant mutant circus entertainer breathing down ya neck, Kaiba.'

'Then what was all that garbage about "Not splitting the party?" because "that's not the way it works in movies?" Kaiba snapped. 'For _god's_ sakes, what do you think this is?'

'Uhh... Kaiba? Look around. We've got monsters crawling outta the waterworks, giant mutant pachyderms in the streets, darkness, demons, the freakin' _Shadow Realm_ on our doorsteps. This is about as close to a _movie_ as it gets.'

Kaiba grunted, but didn't debate this point. 'It's still a _ridiculous_ comparison.'

'That's pretty rich coming from you. Our _lives_ are ridiculous. Would'a figured you'd have a little faith in that by now, man.' _Yeah_ , he thought. _Because_ Seto Kaiba _and_ Faith _were_ totally _words that belonged together in the same sentence. Can't believe I'm even suggesting it..._

'Believe it or not, Wheeler, I am capable of having faith in things I can't see. I just don't tend to place that faith in the same clichés you find in children's television.'

'Oh, yeah? So says the guy who plays duel monsters for a living?'

Kaiba glared. 'I run a _company_ for a living. _Duel monsters_ is a business.'

'Oh, right. That makes all the difference.'

Kaiba didn't have an answer for that –another surprise. _Guess he's just not full of 'em today_. There was silence for a few moments, except for the sound of their footsteps crunching against a gravel path. Joey looked around, and it slowly dawned on him that there had to be _people_ living here, in the seemingly empty backstreets of Vienna. He couldn't believe they'd come so far without seeing anymore of those _monsterspeoplefreaks_ ; maybe Jumbo has already scared them all off?

'...For example, I knew you'd come after me.' Kaiba said.

Joey blinks at him. 'Say what?'

'Back at the airport when Mokuba's plane was coming down.' Kaiba said calmly, kicking fallen debris out of his way. 'I knew. That's why I went out into the darkness. Not that I wouldn't have gone anyway. With Mokuba out there,.' His fists clenched tightly, and Joey, thinking of Serenity, actually believed him. 'But I still know that if you _hadn't_ followed me, those monsters would've killed me seconds after I turned on the light. But you _did_ come, and you gave me the few extra seconds I needed to guide the plane in. I knew that you would.' He scowled slightly beneath the shadows. 'That enough "faith" for you?'

'…The hell, Kaiba?'

And all of a sudden it began to make sense.

Kaiba _knew_ that Yugi wouldn't want him dead. Hell, Yugi wouldn't want anyone dead. And they all _knew_ that _Yugi_ wouldn't want it, too. Including Bakura…

Joey shook his head to clear his head a bit. 'You mean you knew we'd come to help ya? On the middle of a runway filled with a bunch of crazy not-human freaks prepared to rip us to pieces? Seriously? Because you knew we'd do what Yugi wanted? Man, that's _not_ what the whole bond-that-can-defy-time-and-death-thing is supposed to be about.'

'I never said it was. Look, I said it once, I'll say it again,' Kaiba said dryly. 'It might be a placebo effect, Joey, but your faith in one another... Yugi's need to protect people... It rubbed off on you and it works for you. I'm still _alive_ , aren't I?'

Joey paused, scratching his head as his brain worked its way from one end of this conversation to the other, slowly fitting the pieces into place, like a really _strange_ millennium puzzle. 'Wait, wait, waaaait. So, are you tryin' to tell us that you... _wanted_ our help? _You_? The high an' mighty Seto Kaiba, actually _wanted_ us to help ya?'

'Well I knew damn well that I couldn't fight off fifty of those things at once if that's what you mean,' Kaiba snorted. 'Don 't read anything into it, Mutt.'

Ah. Mutt. _There_ was the Kaiba they all knew and didn't-really-love-but-would-put-up-with-because-he-kept-on-lending-them-jets-and-stuff-and... and why the heck _did_ he keep on lending them jets, anyway? Joey whistled through his teeth. 'Not even a thank you, for saving your life, eh? Kaiba you are one _strange_ guy.'

'I refer you to your own "That's rich coming from you", Joey.'

 _We're having a conversation_ , Joey thought. He was walking through the backstreets of Vienna with the CEO of Kaiba Corporation (who, up until that moment, has refused to address him as anything other than "Mutt", "Wheeler", "idiot", or something else equally insulting), and they were _having_ a _conversation_. Or as close to one as they'd ever gotten without flinging insults, anyway.

Joey wasn't sure which of them has changed enough in the last five years to allow such a conversation to take place... Maybe both of them?

They'd grown up, he realised. And maybe, just maybe, they were both slowly growing beyond the need to throw insults at one another.

'Uh... boys?'Mai snaps. 'As much as I hate to interrupt your little male bonding session, would you mind doing it a little more quietly? We're trying not to attract the servants of doom and apocalypse here.'

'As much as I hate to agree,' Kaiba mutters. 'You heard her, mutt – shut up and stop bugging me already.'

'Ahh, chill out already, Kaiba! Joey grinned. You already know there ain't anything that can stop us when we're on a roll! Hilfe kommt!'

'Wheeler, you don't know what that means. And even if you did your accent is _terrible_.'

* * *

 **Location: Domino City Airport,**

 **Time: 10:23 pm**

Her pumps had metal toecaps, and they were clattering against the marble floor of the airport lobby. Serenity tried not to think too much by focussing upon the sound they made. _Tap, tap, tap, tap_. _Just... keep it together until your brother gets back_.

Oh. That rhymed.

Now Serenity knew she was losing it. Either that or she'd had too much coffee and damn, she never _could_ handle that stuff. She sat there in a plastic chair, feeling angry and afraid and totally, totally useless. Here she was, little Serenity all grown up, and _still_ running around after her stupid older brother.

It was kind of pathetic, really.

'Yes it _is_ , isn't it But then, what else are little sisters for if not to annoy the oblivion out of you?' Bakura smirked, and Serenity jumped, her spine prickling.

'W-what?'

'You heard me. Here you are, sitting in some airport in the middle of nowhere, able to do absolutely nothing to help him, and yet you still insist on following him around,' Bakura smirks. 'Quite frankly, you're right – it _is_ pathetic.'

Serenity swallows, eyes passing over the ring around his neck. Had he read her mind? 'Can you... I-I thought the millennium _eye_ was the one which—'

'Oh it is. But it doesn't take a millennium item to read the expression on your face, little mouse.'

'Don't call me that.'

'What, Mouse? I think it rather suits you.' He was mocking her, leering in a way that would make Joey want to punch him if Joey were here...

But Joey wasn't here right now, Serenity swallowed hard. He wasn't here. She'd have to be okay on her own for a while.

Not that Duke wasn't prepared to play Joey's substitute. 'Yami Bakura, leave it _out_ already, he said. 'Serenity, just ignore him. He's playing games with you. He plays games with _everyone_. _H_ e's frustrated too, because _he_ has somebody he wants to reach as well,' his eyes narrow

Yami Bakura grunted, leaning back in his plastic chair and continuing to glare at random passersby. 'You can't _blame_ me, given that his continued existence is tnhe only thing ensuring my own. He'd be a lot safer if he just stuck around in the first place instead of running off to that precious little university of his.'

'I wish I could be sure of that.' Duke said, dryly. 'But I don't _really_ trust you within a mile of Ryou anyway. I guess there's nothing we can do about it; you _are_ the other half of his soul. We've known that ever since the battle in the ceremonial tomb.'

Bakura let out a sigh. 'Ah _yes_. The one the Little Yugi somehow managed to win, as I recall. But that wasn't _enough_ for him, was it? Oh no, _then_ the new King of Games chose to bend fate to his _own_ liking as well, didn't he?' Duke said nothing. Serenity looked back and forth between them in confusion. 'You're aware, of course, that this -all of this- is completely the fault of the pharaoh's little partner in destruction? Or... wait, I forget... we're blaming Kaiba for that now, aren't we?'

Duke's fists clenched. 'I swear, Bakura-'

Oh, _please_.' Yami Bakura says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 'Like you can change the truth by threatening me. And we all know what that _truth_ is, don't we, Duke Devlin? You, me... the pharaoh... and especially that uppity teenage brat of a _tyrant._ Funny, really,' Yami Bakura shrugged. 'Al those millennia... All those centuries in darkness because of a few fools who thought they knew better than anyone what the world needed... and now it's all coming back, because a couple of uppity mortals just couldn't _let go_ of their past lives.'

'That's rich coming from you, don't you think?' Duke snapped. 'How's stalking Ryou across the country working out for ya?'

'You forget, Devlin. I wasn't given a _choice_ on whether I wanted to be here,' Yami Bakura was glaring at him, all signs of joking gone.

Serenity shuffled, feeling like she'd tuned into the middle of an episode of some long running television show and didn't know the whole story. 'Duke? What are you talking about?'

' I imagine this doesn't make much sense to you, does it, Mouse?' Yami Bakura grinned. 'You weren't there, after all. It was _quite_ the interesting duel, that one. The King of Games usurped by his own soul partner, in his own game.' He chuckled quietly. 'Or so I heard.'

 _Tap tap tap tap. Don't lose your cool Serenity, he's just some freaky other worldly spirit. You've dealt with those before, right?_ 'I know about the Ceremonial Duel... My brother told me when he got home from Egypt.'

'Oh I'm _sure_ he did. But that's not the battle I'm talking about.'

Serenity blinked.

''It doesn't matter,' Duke says, coldly. 'Yugi won. _Both_ times. He won the ceremonial duel, and he won... the one that came after. And now we're _here_ and everyone's alive. Including, unfortunately, you. What more is there to say?'

'How about how much those wins changed the balance of magic as we know it?' Yami Bakura snapped. Serenity could feel the air growing colder all around them, a passenger nearby wrapped his coat more tightly around himself and shivered. 'Unlike _some_ people, I was _quite_ happy when the first duel ended. You think I _wanted_ to be here, in this world of simpering fools and idiots? Bound to the soul of that useless whelp for all eternity? Even the Shadow Realm could hold no worse a punishment...' he snorted. 'But of course, that fool Seto Kaiba decided he _had_ to have his rematch...'

Serenity had no idea what was going on. She knew about the Ceremonial Duel, of course. Joey had explained it to her in great detail, his voice a mixture of pride and pain as he did so. She knew there had been two Yugi's, that one of those two was actually _Yami,_ and that he had lost. Had gone to the afterlife denied him so long ago...

And she also knew what Yami had _come back_ to them... and that this had something to do with the work of Seto Kaiba. Joey had told her that Yami and Yugi duelled again, "kind of... in a way... I mean, it was sort of like a duel but not really? I dunno, sis, this ancient magic stuff still confuses the heck out of me."

Her brother hadn't been quiet so clear on the facts _that_ time. And now Yami Bakura was _looking_ at her, dangling the truth in front of her like some kind of carrot on a stick.

'A shame, truly,' Yami Bakura smirked. 'I'd much prefer the Shadow Realm to the horrors of this very airport right now.'

'Oh, yeah. I believe you,' Duke snorted 'You'd have that place taken over within a week.'

'Ha. We may never know, Mortal. For so long as Yami is bound to the spirit of little Yugi Mutou, so too am I bound to the soul of Bakura Ryou. But no matter: Kaiba broke the rules, and you know it. He messed with the Shadow Realm for his own selfish purposes, and your precious little King of Games _allowed it._ This world has been paying for it ever since.'

'What do you mean?' Serenity asked, not certain she really wanted to know.

Yami Bakura looked at her; a sober, _dangerous_ look. 'Because the dead should stay dead, little mouse,' he said. 'When he won that first duel, little Yugi held the power of the universe in his hands for a few brief moments, and he used it to put an end to all this - the Shadow Games, the monsters, a curse three thousand years in the making. He brought the tale to an end in light... all satisfactory enough. But Kaiba...' Yami Bakura's eyes flashed. 'Well, he was never going to be satisfied with that, now, was he? He found a way into the light of thereafter... and then he dragged us, kicking and screaming back.'

Serenity shuddered, suddenly very aware of the warmth of Duke's hand against her shoulder. She found herself hoping and hoping that he didn't take his hand away again, because it felt like the only thing left the world with any warmth.

'Yami Bakura—!'

'Oh, shut _up_ , Devlin, your constant whimpering is giving me a headache.' Yami Bakura growled. 'You see, my dear Mouse, the reality is that Kaiba has no power that the Millennium items didn't grant him... and _Yugi_ was the true holder of that power. The power of the _YuGiOh_ ,' Bakura snorted. 'The King of Games. Isn't that a _funny_ coincidence? Except we're not talking games with cards and silly little plastic monsters, Mouse. Oh no.'

'I... don't understand what you mean.'

'You don't _need_ to. All you need to know is this,' Yami Bakura leaned forward, like he was imparting a secret. 'The Pharaoh's form returned to this world because of Kaiba's foolishness. But the rules were being broken right in front of him and _Yugi_ could've refused the Pharaoh's return. He didn't. He could've shut Kaiba's little experiment down. But he _didn't_. All he had to do was say it, to grasp the power rightly handed to him as the King of Games, _**and he didn't.**_ '

'And now...' Serenity breathed. Duke was suddenly and disturbingly quiet. 'Now, Yami...'

'Is back in the world of the living, oh joy of joys... but regardless of Kaiba's delusions, he's only here by _Yugi's_ hand,' Yami Bakura said. 'And because Yugi _allowed_ for the Pharaoh's return, they left a gap wide open in the realm of darkness. A bleeding maw which the shadow creatures and monsters beyond are all too happy to rise up and fill. Haven't you noticed the number of _missions_ your dear brother has been going on? The number of worldwide crises? The _many_ phone calls at strange hours of the night? It's because little Yugi and his Pharaoh keep needing them to save their worthless lives.'

He looked at Serenity, as if judging her reaction. Her foot kept _tap-tap-tapping_ against the floor. 'You know what all this means, don't you, little Mouse? The walls between our world and the spirit world are weaker than they have ever since that day thousands of years ago when the Millennium Items were first created. You can expect many more catastrophes of this sort in the coming years as the magical realms struggle to keep up with the problem. And all because one little boy couldn't bear to let a loved one go a second time.' He grunted, seeming unaware of the look on Serenity and Duke's faces.

Serenity took a moment, processing what Yami Bakura was saying. He stood up, brandishing his hands to the crowded, nervous, chaotic mess of the airport all around them, one plane after another vanishing from the scheduled arrivals and departures board as they were either cancelled, or lost somewhere in the mists surrounding Europe. 'I _do_ hope Yugi and Kaiba appreciates the chaos they brought upon the world for the sake of one long dead Pharaoh's life. Because the whole world may be suffering for it.'

Serenity turned to look at Duke, but he didn't say anything. There was a vaguely disturbed confusion settling across his features, and Serenity shivered as she settled back in her chair and tried to tell herself that Yami Bakura was wrong.

* * *

 **Vienna. 04:00 am**

'So, that's it, huh?'

It wasn't the most dramatic of introductions. Yami didn't know whether to smile or scowl as he stared at the endless body of black water stretched out before them.

'Yes,' he said, evenly. 'The waters of the Undernile.'

'Undernile?' Yugi whispered.

'Well, more specifically it's the _Under Danube_ ,' Yami explained. 'But it's all a part of the same system so the difference is irrelevant.'

'So... there's like, a Nile underground or something?' Joey frowned. This had never come up in any of the books he'd read (okay, glimpsed through) on their original trip to Egypt.

'Not precisely... There are two worlds echoing one another; the Shadow Realm and this one... _that_ is what the rivers -all rivers- look like on the _other_ side.' He let go of Yugi's arm and stepped closer to the river, leaning against the metal bar protecting pedestrians from falling into its murky depths. There was nothing but purple and grey water, flickering even in the absence of light. Now that they were here looking down into its depths, it was impossible to imagine that this destruction could've begun anywhere else. The answers clicked into place inside of Yami's mind, like the pieces of a familiar puzzle.

'Creepy, isn't it?' Téa swallowed.

'Yeah, I'm pretty sure that isn't the same water they sell in fancy bottles at the convenience store back home,' Tristan whistled.

'Not anymore it's not.' Bakura muttered, lifting one hand, as if he might be able to touch the void of the river with his fingertips. He glimpsed at Yugi and the message passed soundlessly between them. _'Here then?'_

'Seems as good a place to start as any,' Yugi shrugged, seeming slightly embarrassed. 'Are you... um. Feeling anything yet?'

Bakura swallowed, drawing back his hand as if somebody had burned it. 'That depends on what you mean. I _do_ feel extremely sick to my stomach.'

'Heh. Yeah, me too. But I'm not sure that has anything to do with what we're looking for. Try...' Yugi paused, creasing his forehead, and Bakura couldn't tell if it was because of pain, or confusion. Or both. 'Try focussing _through_ the water. Looking for where the shadows are coming from. We've done it before... sort of.'

'You make it sound easy,.' Bakura frowned. 'But I'm not sure how to do that.'

'No, neither am I.' Yugi bit his lip, and Yami followed suit because this was yet another unanticipated dilemma. He hadn't been sure at the beginning whether or not Bakura and Yugi would _really_ be able to trace the path of the darkness. He'd just been hoping, because that was how it had always worked when they encountered something dark and dangerous in the past. Now, however... he wasn't so sure.

And this was not a good time for doubts.

'This is crazy,' Kaiba snaps. 'We made it all the way here and now what? You two are going to rely on your gut instincts to find the source of all this?'

'If you have any better ideas, Kaiba, we'd love to hear them,' Yami says dryly.

'How about this: we follow the same suggestion I made earlier. We split up. Divide into two parties and send Bakura with one group and Yugi with the other. One goes up, the other goes down.'

'You can't seriously mean we have to search the whole damned river,' Tristan mutters. 'Man, that's miles of ground to cover, and we don't have any idea how many of those monsters could be out there. Come _on_ , we'll never make it. Aren't we on a time limit?'

'Well, a time limit which only applies provided that we can't _reverse_ the changing process of the infected population, really.' Yugi said.

'Which we don't _know_ ,' Tristan answered. 'For all we know all of Europe could be a lost cause. Which means the faster we work the fewer people are gonna die.'

'Uh, guys?'

Téa's nervous voice pulled them out of their debate, and they turned to see her standing at the edge of the river, looking cautiously over the railing.

Joey whimpered. 'Oh, man, Téa tell me there are _not_ mutant alligators in that water?'

'N-no,' Téa stammers. 'Not alligators. More like _snakes_ , really.'

Yami reacted, reaching out to drag Téa back from the water's edge. That was when he saw it – the white shapes curdling in the water. As he looked, the thrashing grew until the river seemed as if it were boiling; twisted, broken limbs climbing over one another to reach the bank.

Shadow Creatures. _Real_ ones, this time, not just people who had been polluted by the water. They were crawling about in the deep black waters, writhing in the shadows leaking up from deep within the Underdanube. He could imagine what must have happened when the shadow infection first began: animals would have been affected first, their instincts dragged upon by the darkness deep within every living soul. He could imagine pets breaking out of captivity, animal upon animal racing for the water, drawn by some new, dark instinct inside of them.

'Well the good news is, I guess now we know a little more about what happened to Atlantis,' Yugi swallowed, not seeming to find this _good_ news at all. 'I'm willing to bet this is just the same kind of magical incident.'

'I repeat my earlier plan to split up,' Kaiba interrupted. 'Now that they all know we're here anyway, it hardly makes a difference.'

'Right...' Yami murmured, reaching back to clutch Yugi's arm. 'Yugi's with me.'

Kaiba smirked. 'Of course.'

'Téa and Tristan too.' Yami went on, ignoring the smirk. 'Bakura, you take Mai and Joey. Kaiba...' he pauses. 'Go with whoever you prefer.'

Kaiba waits a moment before stepping slowly in Yami's direction. 'Done.'

'Very well.' Yami looked around at their confused and anxious faces. He looked at Yugi, with his eyes still bright and hopeful, in spite of everything... 'Then let's begin.'

'I repeat my earlier warning,' Tristan muttered. 'This is crazy.'

'But it's still the only plan we have,' Mai answered. 'and so far as plans go... I think it's as good as we're going to get. Now, Bakura, see if you can get those little magical, good-and-evil-sensing gifts of yours working _properly_ , will you? And try not to blow us all to kingdom come while you're at it.'

* * *

 **Vienna International Airport 12.**

 **Time: 04:06 am**

It had been pretty quiet at the Vienna International Airport since his brother left.

Quiet. _Not_ silent. Because the creatures hadn't gone away. They'd just been... skulking. For this long, Mokuba and Marcus had kept their distance, sticking to the middle of the airport and avoiding the windows. They had gotten the lights working in one of the ground floor stores and had holed up in there, hoping for the light to be some protection against the creatures.

This strategy had worked for a while... now, however, Mokuba could hear the scratching of inhuman fingers against nearby walls, and there was no question about it: the monsters were drawing near.

Yeah. Mokuba was pretty sure his older brother _hadn't_ thought of this.

'Mister Kaiba!' Mokuba's head snapped up from the airport map he'd been studying, to see Marcus returning from his latest scouting trip. 'I don't think it'll be long before those... things start drawing in, sir. They're moving across the runway. I think some of them are entering the building.'

'Yeah. I guess we've only got as long as it takes them to work out that Yugi isn't here anymore,' Mokuba swallowed. 'They don't have to worry about _us_ burning them to a crisp. I think we have a little more time though. Keep watching.'

Marcus didn't seem all that reassured by this information. Mokuba didn't blame him; after all Marcus had basically put his life in the hands of a fifteen year old, and Mokuba knew fine well what happened to the _last_ employees who did that... ' _No. Don't think about them. Don't think about Daisuke, or Ai or Motoko. Don't think about the people you've_ already _gotten killed_.' Thinking about them wouldn't help a bit, so Mokuba focussed on the map, making a mental note to increase Marcus (did he even know his surname?)'s salary as soon as they got back to Japan.

'I'm not sure we have long, sir. I... I'm pretty sure I was spotted coming back. They know we're no threat to them, and... well, I think we look like their next meal.'

'Thanks, Marcus, I'd realised,' Mokuba muttered. There were more of them in the building than Marcus realised. Mokuba could hear them rasping through the ceiling and scratching around the walls. They were getting closer. 'Stay here where it's safe huh? Some logic you had there, big bro. Totally gonna bring this up when we get home.'

 _If we get home_.

'It's been over an hour since they left, Marcus. Think my brother's gotten to the bottom of this yet?'

'No offence to Mister Kaiba, but somehow I doubt it, sir.'

'Yeah, right.' Mokuba couldn't help but agree. Seto was unbeatable in most things, but understanding the complexities of Shadow Magic... well, that wasn't one of them. It was difficult to understand something you spent half your life denying even existed.

Mokuba sighed, a frightened sensation chilling his bones. He squashed it as quickly as he could. 'And even if they have worked it out by now, I'm not sure it'll help us. If we wanna get out of this, Marcus, we're gonna have to _make_ ourselves a miracle. Come on!'

Then he turned and raced towards what he was pretty sure used to be an arcade with the sound and shape of monsters looming in behind them, and the reflection of their bright eyes shining everywhere he looked. Mokuba couldn't quite convince himself that this was just paranoia.

* * *

 **Location: The Danube**

 **Time: 04:18 am**

What they needed, Yami thought, as they followed the sound of the river, was a miracle.

And normally that wouldn't be such a problem. He was the other half of the _King of Games_ , for goodness sake. Yugi hung around with ancient spirits and handled world destroying artefacts on a semi-regular basis. He'd beaten _Yami_ in a duel. They both knew many wonderful, incredible, perfectly ordinary people who had broken into the Shadow Realm to rescue others from oblivion. Yami was three thousand years old and counting.

 _Impossible_ was their usual degree of difficulty. Miracles were their department.

But these were _not_ their usual odds, and Yami had no idea what would happen if they won. Their choices here could be the difference between the whole continent being destroyed, or the entire world. The difference between all of their friends dying and all of Europe living.

 _Don't worry._ The voice echoed up inside of his mind like a warm blanket, and Yami didn't have to turn and see Yugi to know what his expression would be.

There was much that Yami didn't understand about his Other Self. Yugi was currently walking on a sprained ankle; had been thrown from two cars, and had the pressure of the Shadow Realm eating at him for three days now.

And yet he was the one telling _Yami_ not to be afraid.

' _I'm not worried. I'm with you_.' Yami thoguht back. It wasa lie and Yugi knew it, but he seemed grateful for Yami's faith, nonetheless. _'How're you doing?'_

' _Ok. Head hurts. And all this... focussing on the Shadows isn't really helping_.' He squints. ' _Is it just me, or are there two of Tristan?_ '

Yugi's using close enough to a jocular tone for Yami not to panic. ' _Ah, no, last I checked there was definitely only one of him. I think you're looking at Téa's back._ '

' _Oh. Oops. It's kinda hard to tell in this dark... And I think Tristan changed his hair.'_

' _No, he_ always _looks like that, partner. He's looked like that for the last eight years, and short of one of us dragging him to a hair salon and strapping him into a chair by force, I don't think it's going to change_.'

 _'Ah_... _You_ _realise_ we're _not exactly in a position to be making comments about anybody's_ hair _, right, Yami_?'

' _Ah. Well played. You don't have a concussion, then. If you did I'm sure you couldn't come up with something so witty_.'

Yugi winced. ' _I think I'd prefer a concussion_.'

' _There, you see? I knew I'd get a confession of pain out of you eventually_.' Actually, he'd prefer it if Yugi just had a concussion as well. Concussion was so much easier to deal with than the overwhelming pressure of the Shadow Realm. But saying this wouldn't help matters, so he cast around for something more encouraging to say instead. ' _Your tolerance is improving.'_

' _Mm… what?_ '

' _There was a time you wouldn't have survived ten minutes in these conditions, Yugi. Remember duelling Pegasus?_ '

' _Yes, though I'd rather not... I guess you're right_. _We've all gotten used to it._ ' A smile tweaked his lips, and Yami became aware of Yugi leaning on him, just a little more than he'd gladly admit to as they walked. ' _I was doing really well until we crashed the_ second _car_.'

'You guys need to stop doing that.' Téa said, and Yugi started so suddenly that he almost fell over.

'Doing?' he asked. 'Uh... Doing what?'

'Oh, come on, guys, we've known you two for _years_ ,' Tristan smiled. 'You don't think we know when you're gossiping with each other inside of your heads? There are _signs_ , man.'

Yugi blinked. 'Hey... We do _not_ gossip.'

'Nope. You just complain about us, don't you?' Téa whispered, with a mock drama she had probably picked up in New York. 'It's my _outfit_ , isn't it? You don't think it's appropriate for a good Japanese girl to walk around in knee high books and stylishly worn-out jeans! I _knew_ I sensed disapproval.'

Yugi giggled, and Yami found himself smirking at Téa's eyes, glistening blue in the darkness. 'Oh no, Téa, I'm sure it's _quite_ an appropriate fashion statement for the leader of a New York dance troupe. Which reminds me, did I mention that you're developing a rudimentary New York accent?'

Téa smiled. 'Is that a compliment, or...?'

'I really wouldn't know, is it?' Yami said, innocently.

'Sheesh,' Tristan mutters. 'Yami's _joking_ , now I _know_ it's the end of the world.'

The jokes were weak and inappropriate, and this was completely the wrong time for humour, but they all knew that already so Yami didn't mention it. Besides, they were at least keeping their voices as low as they could to avoid attracting the attention of any shadow creatures (not that any of them seemed to be gathered near the river, which was... odd.

At any rate, Yami thought, he was starting to get the feeling that joking around was the only thing keeping any of them sane. Well, except for Yami himself. The only think keeping Yami sane was—

' Yugi?'

And just like that, Yugi wasn't supporting his own weight anymore. It happened so quickly that Yami didn't have time to notice the switch _flicking_ inside of his brain, turning Yugi's signal from _on_ to _off_. Yugi slumped forwards onto his knees while Yami tried to support him. Yami reconsidered his thoughts about concussions, before realising that this reaction was probably more to do with the explosions of energy Yugi had been throwing about lately than it was to do with his head having collided with anything particularly hard.

'Yugi, are you alright?!' Téa was asking.

'I knew it; he's down,' Tristan muttered. 'You can't go throwing that much magical energy around in the middle of a Shadow Game and not expect to pay it back. Yugi, talk to us. How many fingers am I holding up?'

Yugi held up a shaking hand, and Yami relaxed a bit as the signal returned, and strengthened as quickly as it had vanished. 'T-that's a thumb, Tristan.'

'Right, aaaand the number of thumbs is?'

'Two. Just wait...' Yugi took a deep breath, gripping the cobbled stone beneath his fingers, listening with something that was very definitely not his ears. So technically, it wasn't _really_ listening at all, but-

Yugi's eyes opened, shining with an all too familiar brightness. 'I think I hear it.'

'What? You think you're onto it?' Tristan looked around urgently.

'I'm not sure, but there's definitely _something_ over there. Just around the bend.' Yugi half crawled several feet to the edge of the river, and looked down through the bars. The whiteness of the shadow creatures blurred thick and fast against the surface. There were more there than there had ever been elsewhere. 'Look at that... they're everywhere.'

'Yeah, I think he's right,' Téa whispered, and now she was shivering as if she too could feel the blackness pressing down upon her soul as easily as Yami and Yugi. They were close to the source. Close enough to touch it.

'Yugi, listen.' Yami said, slowly, gathering his nerves. 'Just point it out for us. We'll call our friends and get Bakura to do this part.'

'No. Don't even think about it, Yami,' Yugi said. 'This one is _ours_.' He gestures with an arm, indicating that he wanted to be lifted. 'Help me find my footing. And... and then you and Téa need to stay back, Tristan, I don't know if you could handle getting much closer to it.'

'Iiii'm not sure about this, Yugi,' Tristan mutters, biting his lip.

'Well I don't think Bakura would be in much better state. What he gains in immediate health he loses due to a lack of direct contact.' Yugi said, and Yami knew he was right, he _knew_ he was, but the tug between their souls felt stronger here than it had been since that day in the ceremonial chamber.

'Yugi—' he started to say, and then...

Then Yugi just _looked_ at him, and that look said everything that'd ever been said before, and didn't need to be said again. It told Yami to trust him, and so he did. 'I... I started this, Yami,' Yugi says. 'So I'll _finish_ it, too. Come on, let's go. We've got a continent to save.'


	15. Chapter Fourteen - I'm Pretty Sure

**Chapter Fourteen - I'm Pretty Sure Vienna Is Landlocked...**

* * *

 **Location: New York International Airport, Arrivals Lounge.**

 **Time: 03:00am**

They arrived in New York to find just as much chaos as Tea had experienced when she left.

Which would have been there anyway, considering that this was _New York_. However , it was not strictly the chaos that she had been expecting, there were... people, everywhere. Most of whom were not waiting for loved ones so much as waiting to find out what on earth was going to _happen_ to their loved ones. The airport was more crowded than Ishizu has ever seen it before, even during the chaotic mess of Dartz's attack on Domino.

The air was tense and frantic. Airport employees walked around without their trademark smiles and grace. People... argued and snapped, small children clung crying to their parents legs and pulled their siblings hair. All it would take to instigate a rampage right now would be for somebody with an "END IS NIGH" placard to begin counting down from fifty.

No doubt about it, Ishizu thought. The sense of tension was far greater here than it had been in Egypt.

Marik coughs. 'Ah. Well... this is...'

'Frantic?' Odion suggests. 'Chaotic? A psychic disaster just waiting to happen?'

'I was going to say a total mess.' Marik said. 'But you're right about the psychic disaster. New York is a mess at the best of times and the atmosphere here can't be helping people's nerves. Things could get nasty if it keeps up...'

Ishizu examined the crowd closely. The millennium necklace has not worked for her in years, but Marik's statement seemed more like a prophecy than anything. And now she felt it again, the awkward tightness in her veins that once over, signalled that the millennium necklace was considering implanting another vision in her head. Such a thing did not happen now. But the sensation did take hold of the back of Ishizu's mind and begin to _pull_.

'Well, sister?' Marik asked uneasily. 'If you were planning to tell us why you brought us here then... well, now would be a good time.'

'I did not plan to bring us _here_ , if you recall,' Ishizu said. 'I was _aiming_ for England. However, this may turn out not to matter if my estimate is correct.'

'Estimate?' Marik frowns.

'I hope it will become clear soon. Brothers, come with me,' she said, taking Marik's arm and pulling them steadily through the crowds. When a serviceman spotted her and came over to as her identity, Ishizu merely pulled herself upright and stated in her most official tone that she was here as a representative of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, and hoped that sounded more important than it actually was. It has the desired effect; or perhaps the serviceman was just too frantic and on-edge to care very much about three oddly dressed stragglers in the middle of the airport.

They passed through the rest of the building unhindered and stepped out into the New York Night.

* * *

 **Location|: The Danube River, South**

 **Time: 04:35 am**

Joey grumbled, shoving his completely dead cellphone back into his pocket, and kicking at the cobbles by the river side, pointedly trying not to look over the railing into the thrashing black and white waters. 'I'm just saying that if I'd _known_ yesterday morning that the fate of the world and our best buddies lives were both gonna be riding on our shoulders again, I _would've_ charged my cell.'

'We _know_ , Joey,' Mai sighed, pausing to remove her high heels for the umpteenth time. You'd think by now after so many apocalypses, she'd have thought to invest in something a little more practical. In their case it seemed like even hindsight was never twenty-twenty. 'At least we still have mine, though we can't get an online connection with it anyway. I just think we should call up the other group and let them know how we're doing.'

'And _I_ think we need a _map_ . I've got no idea where we are! And you're trying to tell me mister super executive business guy here doesn't have a _phone_ with an online connection?' Joey points at Kaiba accusingly. 'Come _on_ , man.'

'I have a portable laptop that I use for online purposes,' Kaiba says. 'I left it on a seat in the jet when we were attacked by _monsters_ _in mid flight_. I was a little preoccupied at the time. And I see no reason why some know-it-all idiot decided to install Wi-Fi on _mobile phones_ with screens the size of your palm. You can't _do_ anything with a piece of software that small. Besides which, we don't need a map, Joey. We're following a damned _river_. There are only two directions we can go.'

'Yeah, sure, that logic worked great until _now_. And Bakura doesn't even own a phone! (Which is weird, who in the heck _doesn't_ own a cell phone?'

'Some people just don't keep up with the times.')

Okay, he was definitely close to holding an actual conversation with Seto Kaiba. Now Joey _knew_ he was going nuts.

Bakura winced. 'Guys, I _am_ still here, you know. And if you'd please? I'm trying to concentrate and you're not making it easy.'

'Oh. Sorry, just...' Joey shrugged. 'This atmosphere, you know? It's freaking me out. I keep thinking we're gonna see jumbo's big brother around the next corner.' Actually, they hadn't seen any shadow monsters at all for a while, except for those strange creatures crawling around in the water and they, for the most part, had left them alone. That was kind of strange. Joey would've thought this place would be crawling with stiffs...

'Are you even sure you know what you're doing, Bakura?' Mai asked. 'You've never done this kind of thing before so how can you be sure it's working?'

'Quite frankly, Mai, I'm _not_ sure,' Bakura sighed. He had his eyes closed and his hands out in front of him, like a water dowser. From the way his face was crunched up, he wasn't having any luck. He was also rather embarrassed by the whole thing. 'Yugi is far more experienced with this than I, and my own previous encounters with shadow magic came from... well, more dubious sources.' ( _Namely Yami Bakura,_ Joey thought. _God only knows why 'Kura puts up with him after everything he did_...) 'I'm definitely aware of _something,_ but it's like trying to find a slightly blacker pin in a haystack full of regular black ones, you know?'

Kaiba stared at him. 'No.'

'Oh. Well,' Bakura sighs, eyes opening. 'I can't think of a better analogy. Whatever I'm trying to do it isn't working.'

'I'd love to say I'm surprised,' Kaiba scowled. 'But look at the water,' Joey looked before his brain could think to protest Kaiba's rudeness. The water was still crawling with ugliness, but... not as much. There were places where the water was almost entirely pitch black.

'Yeah, we're looking,' Mai says sarcastically. 'Snakes, severed limbs... floating monsters, generally disgusting examples of the Shadow Realms inhabitants... what about it?'

'Can't you tell? There are less of them. The river's a lot clearer here than it was back where we started. And it's getting clearer as we walk.'

Bakura blinks. 'Oh. Well... then that would suggest—'

'That we drew the short straw and we're going the wrong way. _Away_ from the epicentre,' Kaiba said. 'Looks like Yugi and the others got it right. They're going in the right direction while _we're_ off on a wild goose chase.'

'Ah... well, that would certainly explain why I'm not feeling much,' Bakura mumbled.

'Urgh, Hold on,' Mai began scrambling around in her coat, searching for her phone, (if you could even call it a "coat"... how the heck did that tiny little thing even _have_ pockets, Joey would like to know?)

And then Joey wasn'y looking at Mai anymore.

He was looking right past her and at Bakura, who had dropped his hands to his sides and was staring at something in the river.

'Bakura? What is it? Do you sense something?'

Bakura swallowed visibly, the colour draining from his already pallid cheeks. 'I... No... but I see something, and I don't think you're going to like it.'

The look on his face reassured Joey that this was probably true. But he has to turn around anyway, and when he did, he realised he could hear strangled, muffled groans and hisses, not just from the water below, but from the streets around them. The noises scratched at the back of his mind like fingernails, coming closer with every heartbeat.

Mai stopped looking for her cellphone. Kaiba swore, and Bakura did the only thing he could probably think of to do; the same thing they'd been doing ever since they arrived here. He reached out to grab Joey's wrist, and for just a second before he started pulling, Joey felt that same crackling buzz of electricity that he felt from Bakura on the airport runway, as well as the tension in Bakura's wrist, indicating that he was absolutely determined not to unleash such destruction again. 'Run!'

They ran back the way they came.

* * *

 **Location: New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, Main Entrance.**

 **Time: 03:15am**

They stepped out into the darkness of the New York streets, and almost immediately, the sense of chaos around them increased a thousand fold. It was a peculiar sensation, one that even perfectly ordinary people with no experience in magic could feel: a kind of crackling in the air, a static on your tongue.

The night air was warm, but not a patch on Egypt, and Ishizu told herself that this was why Marik shivered as he tries to work out the cab routes, and continued shivering after they had successfully flagged one down.

The driver of the cab was shivering a little too, rubbing his hands together and muttering. 'Funny night out here, huh? You guys travelling for business or pleasure?'

'Neither. We had to take an emergency flight.'

'We were heading for a different continent.' Marik said, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice. 'But what with all of these diversions we ended up here.'

'Go figure? Yeah, some craziness that is, you're not rven the first people tellin' me that story tonight,' the driver whistled. His accent was sharp and heavy and suggested that while he had lived in New York all his life, he had many relatives who didn't. 'The guys in charge say they've got everything under control but... I've seen the videos; you know, you can see the storm clouds over Austria from England? Lucky for us my old lady and me, we decided not to take that trip to Paris. Where was it you asked to go again?' the driver leans back over the chair.

'I didn't. The Main street, please. Near the Empire state.'

'The Empire? That's gonna be one helluva bill, lady.'

'We'll be fine. I appreciate your concern, but we will do the best we can.'

The driver shrugged, as if he heard this all the time and had learned not to comment. 'Just be careful out there at this time of night, it ain't exactly a good time for a tour of the city, you know?'

'That would stand to reason,' Odion said, calmly. 'The physic energy of darkness is spreading extremely quickly; it's likely that some sensory echoes would be affecting people even as far away as here. Fear not, sir. The crisis shall be dealt with.'

'Uh...' the driver glimpsed at Odion in confusion. 'Right. So uh... whereabouts did you guys say you came from again?'

'We didn't. But we arrived here from Cairo in Egypt,' Ishizu said as politely as she could. 'Please excuse our lack of desire for small talk but we are in a hurry.'

'What, to get to the Empire State Building? At this time of night? You know it's closed, right?'

'If we don't get a move on then by tomorrow there might not _be_ an Empire States for us to visit,' Marik says, shuddering slightly.

'Uh... right, so, there's a five dollar call out change to begin.'

Ishizu handed over the money. Nobody asked how she managed to get a hold of American dollars. Then driver accepted it with a wary look, then shook his head and turned back to the wheel.

'Least he didn't try to identify our accent. I hate when people spend half an hour trying to identify my accent.' Marik muttered uncomfortably, and Ishizu reaches out and wrapped her fingers around his, knowing full well that his discomfort had absolutely nothing to do with that.

It was a half hour's drive to their destination, and Ishizu could only pray that she was following her instincts for the right reasons.

* * *

 **Location: The Nevada Desert,**

 **Time: 10:15 am.**

This stunk.

Officially. It stunk even more than that time when some creepy guy with weird hair took away Yugi's soul but left his body still walking around without it. It stunk like losing a duel because of a bunch of characters based on fairytales. It stunk like being turned down for Prieston University, or stuck in the middle of a desert on an archaeology dig you were only going on because it made your grandfather happy.

And damn it, why did she choose _this_ _one week_ to be away from the university and therefore away from a decent internet connection? Damn it, why couldn't grandfather's birthday be at some other time of the year?

'Rebecca, dear, I think you're exaggerating,' Grandpa said, and Rebecca realised she'd been ranting out loud again. Her fingers staggered on the keyboard, running her coding.

'Grandpa, look at the news.' She sighed. 'On _any_ channel. It doesn't matter which you pick. I am so _very much_ not exaggerating right now. The world is going to pot, and _Yugi_ is right in the thick of it, as _usual_. And _also_ as usual I've been left totally out of the picture!'

'Now now, Yugi knows how busy you are, I'm sure he would've contacted us if he thought it was...' Arthur stopped that sentence mudflow, probably realising that it didn't get much more serious than the entirety of Europe being carpeted in shadow.

And never mind Europe... Rebecca peered uneasily out of their trailer window, noting how dark it seemed to be across the Nevada desert, considering it was almost mid day in the middle of spring.

Rebecca Hawkins knew an End-Of-The-World level occurrence when she saw one.

'Grandpa, we can't even see Europe anymore! We have friends there! Relatives! This is very much not a _too busy_ situation! Rebecca shook her head, shaking out her hair from the bandana she'd been using to protect herself from the Nevada sun.

'Well, I don't know, it's not _quite_ on the same level as duel monsters appearing in the streets...'

'I know, I know,' Rebecca sighed. 'I'm just starting to wonder, grandpa, how many degrees, birthdays, and commendations I need to have, before they'll start seeing me as anything other than a spoiled little eight year old brat who'll just get in the way.'

'You were never once a spoiled brat.'

'Well no... Not a _spoiled_ one, anyway.' Rebecca smiled slightly at him, then turned back to her computer.

'Ah, you know, Rebecca, we _have_ the Mutou's phone number in the book, there's really no need to hack encrypted government databases to find that information if you need—'

'Heh. Sorry, gramps, that's not what I'm doing. I'm trying to find out what the authorities are _really_ saying about this mess when the general public isn't looking.'

'Ah. The CIA then,' Arthur sounded as calm as if his granddaughter had just told him she was going to the mall with her friends.

'Right.' Rebecca said coolly. 'Somewhere there's got to be information about what's really going on. And I plan to find it.'

'You could get into big trouble,' Grandpa said, but he was speaking in that voice which Rebecca recognized as having the tagline " _but I won't stop you if it's really that important. I trust you_."

'I know. But I think Yugi's in big trouble right _now_. We know he was in Vienna when this whole thing started, and if I know those guys...' she bit her lip. 'Well, they'll _find_ a way to get to him, I know they will. I just... I wish I could too...'

'I'm _sorry_ , dear, if I had known an apocalypse was going to break out, I wouldn't have dumped you on a dig site in Nevada with no transport to the nearest airport.'

Rebecca paused, turning round in her seat. 'Grandpa, would you _really_ let me buy a ticket and fly out into that mess anyway?'

Arthur hesitated. 'If I had _refused_ , would you have accepted it?'

Rebecca hesitated, caught off guard for one long moment before her grandfather smiled at her and she felt compelled to smile back. Then she sighed and turns back to her computer. 'Okay... okay, let's keep working on this. Oh, I am going to _kill_ those guys when I get my hands on them!'

* * *

 **Location: The Danube River, South**

 **Time: 04:39 pm**

They didn't manage to get very far before the creatures showed up.

The first of them came from the river. Hands that were not really hands clambering up the metal railing. The second came from the buildings around them, clambering out of smashed windows, and the smallest of them came clambering up from the drains in their hundreds, like swarms of insects. In fact, Joey realised, that was probably exactly what they _were_. As if bugs and worms weren't creepy enough to begin with, _these_ ones had been given a Shadow Realm makeover.

'Great. What is this, night of the living dead?' Mai talked tough, but she always did. Her voice was tinged with terror.

'Maybe... maybe we can sneak past them.' Joey suggested uneasily. 'I mean, go through the back alleys or something.'

'Unlikely,' Kaiba muttered. 'It's not us specifically that they want. It's _Bakura_. Wherever he goes they'll follow.'

He was right, Joey realised, and Bakura knew it too. The creatures were drawn to his light just as they were drawn to Yuugi's, and unlike Yuugi's monsters, they weren't bound by the power of Yami's true name. Bakura couldn't use that against them. Joey realised that the only reason none of them had attacked yet was fear. They knew what Bakura could do to them if he wanted to. They knew that they's beerunning into a death trap. And they'd still destroy everything in their path in order to get to him. Including Joey, Mai, and Kaiba.

'But why now?' Mai snapped. 'I can't work these damned things out!'

'If it helps, I don't think they're anymore sure on the issue than we are,' Bakura mumbled. 'They... they're afraid of the light. But they still want it.'

'Right, horses to a burning barn,' Joey muttered, fists clenching as the area of free space to move around them got smaller and smaller as the creatures moved in. Some of them seemed as if they were human once but really, most of them looked anything but. They had too many teeth, too many arms... a couple of thin, white bodies scrambled down the wall like dinner-plate sized spiders, and the noise... the noise of them all was aching in Joey's ears. He couldn't think of a better way to describe it. Just being so close to these creatures wrapped up in darkness and panic made his head hurt.

'I hardly think it matters _why_ ,' Kaiba says. ' The point is that they're after _Bakura_ , and it's not like we can dump him.'

'Ah... your concern is appreciated, really,' Bakura muttered.

Lesson of the hour: Bakura had discovered the ability to be sarcastic when terrified. But Kaiba was still looking at Bakura expectantly, and Bakura winced, hands drawn in and wrapped around himself, as if desperate not to crack. 'You can thank us by doing what you did on the runway,' Kaiba said. 'We have to get past these things and back to Yuugi.'

'No.' Bakura snapped.

'Bakura—

'I said _no_ , Kaiba,' Bakura yelled, sounding more serious than he ever had before. 'I won't _do it._ I won't... I...' He swallowed, stepping backwards into Joey's shadow. Joey could feel the light of Bakura's body touching his skin and see the confused anger in his eyes. The fear of death and murder hanging over his head. 'I _can't_.'

'Kaiba, we're not talking about just monsters!' Mai snaps. 'We can't tell which of those.. those things come from the shadow realm and which of them are people!'

'I don't think they'll be so discerning when they're devouring us,' Kaiba hissesd, stepping backwards and raising his fists and... Oh, yeah, he knew martial arts, didn;t he? Not that it was going to do them the slightest bit of good.

The creatures rose like a tide. Like a storm closing in, and all around Joey could hear nothing but their shrieks. The monsters seemed to glow in the darkness, so close to the source of their creation, but Joey knew it wasn't light he's seeing coming from their bodies. Whatever humanity was left within these monsters was being quickly drowned out by their desperate thirst for destruction . Bakura was staring at them in terror, his eyes large and dark, and Joey knew what he was seeing –a woman named Samantha, dying in a pool of thin, white blood.

Mai shuddered as something far too tall raised its wormlike head and screeched into the horizon. The other creatured join in, in a bizarre parody of a wolfpack's howl. 'Times running out, guys, think fast.'

Joey hissed as a lumbering body that may have belonged to an alligator once snapped at him from out of the deep black water. Water which burned when it touched Joey's skin, hissing right through his clothing. The nearest of the creatures, one with no facial features except for slits of nostril, flaring in the darkness, reached out a claw towards him.

When he played the events back to himself later on, Joey would edit out his cry of panic as he snapped away from the creature's jaws, colliding with Kaiba's back as he did so. 'Aw, man where's Atem when ya need him?!'

And then... well, then Joey didn't know exactly what happened.

One minute he was yelling for Yami and the next, the creature was snapping away from him like he was a red hot stove or something, and in the time it took him to shuffle as far backwards away from the creature as possible, Joey realised why. He didn't _say_ Yami. He said...

'A-Atem...' he whispered it experimentally, picturing the face in his mind as he did so. The air trembled. He remembered the creatures Yuugi had gathered, being bound by the mere mention of Yami's name...

Mai frowns. 'What is it? Joey—'

Joey whirls round, gripping her hand tightly. 'Yami's real name! Bakura! Say it!'

'What?' Kaiba scowls.

'Just _trust me_! On the count of three, all of us, yell it as loud as you can. Think of it! Picture his face and know it's him!'

'But...' Bakura hesitated. 'Joey, wasn't the very point of calling him Yami to avoid the problems that happen when we call him—'

'Kura, just _do it_ , okay? There's no time!' He felt Mai gripping his hand and phantom breath, icy cold against his neck. The monsters were so close he could touch them and no amount of beating at them was going to make them go away.

What had they to lose anyway? He took a breath: 'On three, two, one...'

The name rang out across the city of Vienna; whatever remained of the city's electricity supply went out with a flurry of sparks and a tremble of static, and the phantoms on all four sides of the small group screech in agony.

It wasn't Yugi using the name, Joey knew, so the power was lessened slightly. The monsters should count themselves lucky for that. They scattered. The creature rearing over the buildings staggered and fell, crashing into the surrounding buildings with a violent creaking. The insects scurried away, eating one another in their panic.

The pathway before them cleared, as easily as Moses parting the ocean.

All because they said one damned _name_...

Joey clutched Mai's hand that little bit tighter. 'Now, we run!'

* * *

 **Location: New York, 9th Avenue.**

 **Time: 03:50am,**

However much sceptics such as Kaiba attempted to deny it, the world around them was filled with magic, Ishizu was explaining to her brothers as they walked the darkened streets of New York with nothing but the Millennium Rod to protect them.

'And the magical potential of any one location so often came down to the people: whoever is inhabiting certain places at certain times.' She said, aware that she was filling her brothers in on information that the pair of them already knew.

'Sometimes, an area is prone to magical phenomenon to begin with, though, Sister.' Marik said, still shivering, hands inside his jacket pockets.

'Correct. Places such as... Stonehenge, The Empire State Building, and of course, the Pyramids of Giza; They were built in locations where the barrier between our world and the Shadow World is particularly thin. Kind of like... Magical Nexus points. Our original destination in England was _Stonehenge_. I thought that perhaps, if we could reach that place... we might be able to access the Shadow World itself from there.'

'So that's why you aren't too worried about us being in New York instead of England, then,' Odion mutters. 'New York is an epicentre for magical potential as well, isn't it?'

'Yes. Not as potent as Stonehenge, of course, but It seems that wherever humans congregate, the darkness also gathers. It feeds upon the human spirit. More to the point, the entire Shadow Realm that exists within our own is connected on an imitate level.'

' The Undernile?' Marik guessed at what she was talking about.

'Yes. It's connected to every other source of darkness in the world, in one way or another. What is happening in Vienna is linked to what is happening _here_ in New York.'

Marik made a thoughtful sound, quite calm for someone beingh faced with the possibility of the end of the world. 'This still begs the question, Ishizu. Why did we not stay in Giza? The

'And risk messing with the delicate balance that we already threw completely out of whack after Kaiba undid the ceremonial duel?' Ishizu raised an eyebrow. 'No. That would not be a good idea. Odds are the magical forces in this area are already displeased with us. Getting out of Egypt was as much for our own safety as anything else.'

'Well... it's happened, Odion,' he sighed. 'Our dear sister has finally started using colloquialisms.'

'...What?' Ishizu frowned.

'" _Out of whack_ ", sister?' Marik smirked. ' Did you pick that one up from Mokuba? Because you certainly didn't get it from _me_.'

She knew Marik's way of dealing with oncoming tragedy, it seemed, was to make as much light of it as was possible. She couldn't blame him for that but still... _Brothers_.

Ishizu paused, staring up at the infrastructure of the city around them. Ishizu knew from the stories that Téa had told her, that New York was a frantic city filled with everything from beautiful parks to ugly street gangs, from quiet coffee shops to bustling roads. From kind old ladies who loaned you tissues to people who would rob you blind in the fraction of a second it took you to blink. Much like Cairo, the city never slept. There were few places in the world that displayed such a huge variety of humanity. New York stood as a testament to human achievement. A world where everything was larger, bolder, and stronger, where emotions ran high and secrets deep.

In truth, short of Stonehenge, this was probably the _best_ location they could've hoped for short of the Pyramids.

'And from here,' Odion said, catching on. 'We can find some way to help stem the magical shadows flowing in Europe? Or at least help Yugi and the Pharaoh to do so.'

'I get it, Marik muttered. 'We could at least make Yugi and Yami's job a little easier by helping reduce the pressure of the shadow magic worldwide. Like... turning off a tap, to stop a pipe leaking half a mile away.'

Ishizu shook her head. 'I only wish that what is happening halfway across the planet were all we had to worry about, Marik. But the chaos is closer than we think. The threat that we have sensed is no longer contained to just. It spreads across the world. I believe it is places such as here, where the final unleashing of darkness will occur first.'

'I can believe that.' Marik muttered, still shivering. He was more tuned to the darkness than any of them, Ishizu knew. She could only imagine what he must be feeling. 'So now that we're here... what can we do about it?'

Ishizu paused, realising that for all her speeches, she still wasn't entirely sure just what to do about _anything_. She had been, as Yuugi might say, planning to cro _ss that bridge when she came to it_. Only now they _had_ come to it, and still she was uncertain how to proceed. Without the omnipotence of the Millennium Necklace she had little idea of what the future held for them, besides darkness and danger.

And let's face it, you didn't need a magical item to sense _that_. 'We... locate the nexus point of dark magic this city,' she says, evenly. 'And then... well, we find some way in which to seal it off.'

'And then?'

'Then we hope to the gods that Yuugi can resolve this without us,' Ishizu said, quietly.

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport, Arcade.**

 **Time: 4:41 p.m.**

They were everywhere.

Mokuba couldn't see them in the darkness, but he knew they were there, because they shifted away whenever Marcus turned the light of the torch upon them. Mokuba was counting the seconds he thought it'll take them to get tired of holding back and rush the light anyway. He knew what it felt like when something wanted to kill you. He'd had the feeling many times before.

The industrial lamp sputtered for several moments, then died, taking the warmth and safety of light with it. Marcus swore. 'Damn it, that was all we had!'

Mokuba bit his lip, looking up from the box of wires he had bent himself over. The arcade had no entrance doors, just an opening straight into the plaza. There was no way to lock the monsters out, and even if there was, he doubted it would stop them.

'Sir we should move again. If they get in here we'll be surrounded.'

'We'll be completely surrounded wherever we go, there's no point!'

 _No way out now_ , Mokuba thought. The only possible way out now was for them to bring back the light.

* * *

 **Location: The Danube River, South**

 **Time: 04:55 pm**

' _Joey? Is... you?_ '

Yugi's voice was high pitched and trembling. Which was enough to push Joey's already on edge brain into overdrive, he fumbled with Mai's phone in his grip, lungs still aching from their wild race across the city. The monsters had gone, knocked away by the force of Yami's spoken name. Bakura was leaning against a wall clutching his chest, Mai was probably wishing she'd had the sense to invest in some running shoes, and Kaiba...

Kaiba was just glaring, as usual. Nice to know the Status Quo was in place. 'Yugi? Yeah, it's us.'

' _Are you... kay? You sound like... unning?'_

'Sorry man, we just had... a bit of a close encounter with the hellions over here... Oh, by the way, we think the epicentre's in _your_ direction, just so you know. You're gonna run into it before we do.'

' _Yeah, I know. And we... feel the aftershocks of your meeting with those shadow monsters from here,'_ Yugi chuckled humorlessly. _'We... ve a problem... oey.'_

'What, bigger than the one we already have?'

' _Ah... bigger woul... be the operativ... word, see...'_ Yugi's voice was crackling on the phone line.

'Hey, Yuge! Speak up a little, this phone's being dumb.'

'Joey for goodness sakes, put the thing on speaker,' Mai muttered.

'Oh, right, yeah' Joey fumbled with the buttons. 'There ya go, man. Now speak up.'

' _...Orry. Um... you know what we were saying, about that tear in the shadow realm we're looking for probably being_ really _small? Like, say, the size of a duel monsters card?'_

Joey feels his heart skip. 'Uh... no?'

 _'O-Oh... guess we didn't... but... yeah that was actually quite likely, Yami said. it's not a big hole, really, just... enough to let them through.'_

'Yeah, and?'

 _'Well um... turns out it's not? The size of a duel monster's card? At all? Or at least um... the range of it isn't.'_

Joey had no idea what this meant, but his stomach was already twisting in preparation. 'Okay?'

 _'Well what_ _we're sensing is_ _just the farthermost reaches of the tear. I...'_ Joey could hear Yugi biting his lip. Actually _hear_ it. And he was stammering. Yugi hadn't stammered in _years. '...It's bigger than we thought it would be, Joey. A lot bigger.'_

Joey felt his heart sinking into his sneakers. '...How much is a lot?'

'... _Yami thinks it's probably about a half mile wide from here to the epicentre_.' Yugi said after a moment of silence. ' _And there's another third of a mile of highly concentrated power surrounding it. A huge section of the Danube has been poisoned right down to its source. Every single pipe, every drain every manhole cover... it's all infected, Joey. The tear in the shadow realm we're looking for is nearly_ half a mile _wide and it's right in the middle of the River_.'

Joey did some quick mental maths. 'Uh... okay so I sucked at Geography and all but... but there's no point in this river where it's at least half a mile wide, is it?'

 _'Nope. I'm also pretty sure Vienna is landlocked, but... we can't see anything past the epicentre except blackness. We thought we'd somehow reached the ocean at first, then we... remembered.'_

No ocean. Vienna was nowhere _near_ the sea. Whatever the other team was seeing, it wasn't water, at least, not for very long. Joey looked up. Mai looked up. Bakura looked _down_ , twisting his shirt in his hands. Kaiba swore again.

'So...' Joey swallowed. 'So in other words, in order to get to that great big, almost-a-mile-wide epicentre and shut it down, you...

' _Would have to walk through it_.' Yami's voice said coldly into the speakerphone. ' _And there is absolutely_ no way _that even Bakura and Yugi together could survive inside of that for as long as it took. We_ can't _get to the epicentre, Joey. There's no way either of them would make it and that was the only plan we had.'_

' _I think what Yami is trying to say_ ,' Honda's voice said suddenly, down the line. ' _Is that we're totally screwed_.'

* * *

 ** _Hey._**

 ** _Hey guys._**

 ** _Guys, guess who had to rewrite this because she thought Austria had direct ocean access when it IS, in fact, landlocked?_**

 ** _It's your girl!_**


	16. Chapter Fifteen - Shadows Edge

**Chapter Fifteen - Shadows Edge.**

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport, the "Travelling Man Arcade".**

 **Time: 4:41 pm**

The empty darkness at the back of the arcade was strange and mesmerising. Usually these places were brightly lit and full of noise. Seeing one so still and quiet made Mokuba uneasy.

Though really, _quiet_ was the wrong choice of word. There were noises out there. The pounding, screeching sounds of things that weren't quite human anymore.

Mokuba comforted himself in the darkness by reminding himself that whatever was going on now, however many monsters there were baying for his blood, and however unlikely their chances of survival may be, it still beat having your soul trapped inside of a playing card, and your body trapped inside of a dark and dirty dungeon. If nothing else, at least he was capable of movement and cognitive thought processes this time.

He worked as quickly as he could beneath the control panel at the back of the arcade, fiddling with wires and rerouting links and...

He needed a power source. The whole building was dead.

The heavy sound of something thudding against the marble floodr made Mokuba look up from the panel and wince. 'Marcus!'

A few moments later his bodyguard reappeared, clutching what looked like the remains of a broken chair. Which was a surprise, since all the chairs in the corridor were attached to the _floor_ with large steel bolts. 'Sir, they're—

'Here! Yeah, I know, Marcus, give me your radio!'

'..What?'

'It's an isolated power source, right? Quickly, hand it over!'

Marcus looked unconvinced, but he reached out anyway. 'Okay. But I hope you know what you're doing, Mister Kaiba!'

As Mokuba took the radio from his hand the first of the monsters appeared, crawling around the edges of a driving simulator, tearing the leather fabric of the chair with thin claws. Marcus immediately leapt to the fore, guarding Mokuba from an oncoming attack, and Mokuba struggled to hold in a scream as the sharp white claws lashed across the bodyguard's forehead, and sent him careering into a nearby display.

Marcus fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Without a moment left to lose on panic, Mokuba hotwired a few more cables together ripping apart and re-configuring the radio as easily as if it were the remote control for a toy car. And Mokuba had been building working toy cars since he was five years old. He staggered to his feet, giving a loud -and he had to admit, kind of desperate- yell as he brought his hand down hard on the control panel.

The arcade erupted in an explosion of light and sound.

* * *

 **The Danube River, Shadow Realm Nexus Point.**

 **Time: 4:50 am**

It was a simple plan, in theory.

Somewhat suicidal, yes, but simple.

Yugi needed to close the rift, and to do that he had to touch it, reach into it and close it off with the power inside of his own mind; stitch it back together with light unfiltered. This wasn't new. He'd done similar things before, if on a much smaller scale.

The plan was complicated by the fact that there was over _half a mile_ of thick, dark magic shielding on either side of the tear's origin point. There was no way whatsoever that somebody without any dark magical potential would be able to survive walking through half a mile of shadow magic unshielded. Not alone.

But that was the thing about being Yugi Mutou. He was never _really_ alone.

By the time Joey and the others had caught up ('Sorry we're late, we got a little distracted, what with the residents of the Local Zoo all being determined to drag us into the Shadow Realm. And _there's_ something you don't say every day...'), the darkness was cracking the paving slabs, stinging their tongues, and there were shadows of things that are no longer mortal clambering over the walls of the surrounding terraces. The wall reached upwards farther than they could see –no hope of getting in that way, then...

'It kind of looks like that Pyramid of Light thing, only, you know. Not light,' Tristan shivered. 'Remember?'

'How could I forget?' Kaiba muttered. 'The dome cost a fortune to repair. You're saying this is a similar phenomenon?'

'Basically, yes...' Yugi nodded. Actually ther wa's not much about this scenario that they hadn't dealt with before in some shape or form. From the people transforming into monsters, to the shadows of darkness creeping across the land, to this strange pyramid like shape, blotting out the horizon... The only thing missing was a game of Duel Monsters.

And contrary to popular belief, not everything evil in the universe could be held back by a game of Duel Monsters. A card game certainly wasn't going to get them out of this one. Yugi reached out a hand towards the glistening wall of power and energy before him, feeling cold and afraid and almost hopeless. Touching it didn't help. It was like sinking his hand into cold rice. He pulls back, shivering. 'Oh-kay, not good.'

'Mai, you're bleeding.' Bakura said quietly, and Mai cursed as if she hadn't noticed, wiping at the cut on her arm.

'It's nothing. Casanova here held on a little tight when we were running from those monsters.'

'I was keeping ya from toppling into the river!' Joey muttered. 'Heck, if it weren't for that little trick we pulled with Yami's real name, we'd probably be dead by now.'

'Yami's real name?' Téa frowned.

'Yeah. Apparently it works,' Kaiba says, coldly. 'Not that I especially _enjoy_ feeling as if somebody is trying to rip my teeth out just because I spoke a word.'

Yami scowled, thoughtfully. 'That... should not be possible.'

'Well it's not like we were trying to perform any kind of complicated magic, Yami. We just used it to scare off the monsters,' Mai explained, gingerly brushing her fingers across the wound in her arm, dabbing at the blood with her fortunately black gloves. 'Just like Yugi used it to take control of the monsters before... That wouldn't be any use to us now, by any chance, would it?' Mai looks at Yugi hopefully.

Yugi shook his head. 'Sorry. Last time I did that, it felt as if my head was gonna explode. That it even _worked_ before was mostly because they still had enough human in them to respond positively to the light, and now...' He trailed off; not wanting to admit that there was so little left that might be done for these people, consumed by the Shadow Realm...

'I don't suppose it'll work on something like _that_ , anyway,' Joey sighs uncomfortably. 'Man, how're we gonna get out of this one?'

'I don't know,' Yugi said, trying to ignore the anxious confusion on his friends' faces as he spoke. 'I could try, I mean, maybe I could get through it...'

'Don't you dare,' Yami snaps. 'Don't even _think_ about running into that, Yugi, you'll never survive.'

'Yami, we're not going to survive _anyway_. At least this way we have a chance!'

'He's right, Yami... I could help.' Bakura suggested uneasily. 'I'm... I'm light too, aren't I? So I might be able to reinforce Yugi's ability.'

'Bakura, I—' Yami paused, sighing and rubbing his temples. 'Look the offer is appreciated, but it's still impossible, even both of you combined don't have the energy to breach this kind of dark shielding. I'm not sacrificing you _both_ for nothing.'

'Forgive me for interrupting this little debate,' Kaiba says evenly. 'But we _do_ still have a plane that may be capable of flight. We could still get out of here.'

The looks Kaiba received in respond to this, Yugi thought, could floor a mutant pachyderm. Kaiba merely shrugged. In truth, he wasn't making a bad suggestion.

'I don't think that's really an option, do you, Kaiba?' Téa said, with more firmness and certainty than she must surely feel. 'Even if we _could_ get out of here, what about the people? What about the rest of the planet? This... this _thing_ is just going to keep spreading until everyone in the world ends up like the monsters here; just like _Samantha_. Besides whatever this is, we may already be... infected with it.' She shuddered at that thought, realising it was one they'd all been pondering since they got here.

'Téa's right, Kaiba,' Yugi said. 'There's no way into this. And now there's no way out, either.'

'Just... just think about this for a moment,' Téa continued, sounding more and more certain with every word. 'We've never been beaten before. We've never backed down. We've faced darkness just as strong as this one and we've _won_. And there's only a few of us here, right?' She looked up into the darkness, eyes shining. 'When there were only _four_ of us, standing against the shadows, we _won_... We can pull people back from the Shadow Realm together.'

'You still believe that,' Kaiba said. But his tone was one of quiet acceptance more than of scorn or derision.

'Why shouldn't I?' Téa snapped. 'We've done it before, we'll do it again!'

Téa was looking at Yugi now, eyes bright, arms folded tightly over her tracksuit top. She was beautiful and shivering and terrified and so very, very brave, and Yugi understood now why even Kaiba thought it was important that she be brought here. That she be able to fight with them.

Téa hadn't needed to come here. She could've stayed New York, where it was at least reasonably safe. She could've avoided this. _All of them_ could have... but they hadn't. They had come here, in the dead of night. They walked into the shadows because _Yugi_ called for them.

Yami's eyes were as cold as winter's dusk, probably as he pondered the same things as Yugi. In spite of himself, Yugi found himself smiling at Téa's determination.

Still. They needed a miracle. Or else an extremely fast and heavily armoured vehicle capable of breaching dark magical defences. Shame they couldn't summon an X Head Cannon into reality, as they could in the virtual realm. Heck, if faith and fury alone could quell the darkness building across the world right now, this problem would have been solved before it even began. Heck, even just Yami's name has the power to...

The power to...

Yugi exchanged a look with his other, a glimmer of understanding passing between them like a knife cutting paper.

Yami looked up something that might be hope in his eyes. 'Wait... hold on.' Everyone fell silent. 'Mai, you're saying that my _name_ still has power here? Amongst all of this darkness?'

'Well it _must_ do,' Mai mutters. 'I mean, we're still alive, aren't we?'

'A-and what use is that, exactly?' Bakura asks, nervously. 'I mean... Yami, all the power of your name usually does is cause _explosions_ , or other forms of property damage.'

Yami didn't answer for a moment. He was looking at Yugi and smiling that strange, hopeful smile which people usually associated with an almost-lost Duels that he was about to turn on their head and win anyway. 'Maybe so... but if we can do this a little... differently, then I might just have an idea.'

A sound like a flock of birds dying in symphony filled the air and everyone shuddered, feeling the darkness deep inside of them. The shield before them was bubbling and buckling, and for just a moment, Yugi allowed himself the illusion that maybe the cracks weaving their way across the huge pyramid's surface were a good thing, a sign that it's breaking down of its own accord... Except that he knew that couldn't be true. The cracks weren't cracks at all – they were veins, expanding as the shield slowly grew, like the aftermath of an explosion bubbling outwards.

'Whatever your plan is, we have to do it now,' Kaiba hissed. 'Because our time just ran out.'

* * *

 **Location: New York, 9th Avenue International Television Centre**

 **Time: 4:15 am**

'Ah.' Marik saif, as his sister quite calmly (and without acknowledging her brothers' bemused expressions) picked the lock of the building and opens the doors wide into an empty silence of reception decks and waiting chairs. 'Of course, where _else_ would you find the epicentre of dark magic?'

' _Marik_.'

'I'm just _saying_ , sister; there's something ironic about this location. The core... you're certain it's here?'

'I hope so.' Ishizu admitted, frowning slightly, as if she had only just realised the fact herself. The darkness was pushing in and clouding her senses. Finding a nexus point of darkness in all of this was the equivalent of finding a specific, slightly sharper needle in a haystack consisting entirely of other needles. She had walked the entirety of 9th Avenue in a half-daze, following the faintest tickles in the corner of her brain, _willing_ the millennium necklace to give her some direction, some kind of clue as to where to turn. She wasn't sure if the Millennium Necklace had anything to do with her finding her way here, but something had certainly drawn them in this direction.

The television studio they had just entered was silent and abandoned – strange, really, given that a news corporation _should_ be staffed throughout the night, most likely with several film crews working at the same time. Yet not even a security guard had blocked their entrance to the premises. In fact, Ishizu could've sworn she heard a frightened whimper from within the booth gate besides the car park entrance.

Then, in the darkness, something _moved._

'And you really think, sister, that this is where-' Odion started to say.

It happened quickly. Faster than any human could think, even one who could once see the future. One moment there was only darkness and something shuffling uneasily in the absence of light. The next there was a shuddering breath, and Ishizu was slammed onto her back, something clawing at her throat, cutting off the air so efficiently that she couldnt even scream. Odion cried out in rage and frustration, and Marik started screaming her name. There was a glisten of steel as he unsheathed the Millennium Rod with one quick movement.

The moment passed. There was suddenly noise, and light; a burst of familiar magic tingled on her tongue as Marik leapt between her, and their assailant, trying to rip it's hands away from her throat. The air shuddered as he sent out a psychic flash (she could think of no other possible word for it) so powerful it would crush the brain of any normal human being. The arms clinging to Ishizu's neck loosened, and she pushed quickly, forcing the body away.

It landed on the floor besides her with a heavy, dead thud.

'Well,' Odion said, hesitantly as everyone fought to catch their breath 'That answers that question. Excellent intuition, sister.'

* * *

 **Location: The Danube River, Shadow Realm Nexus Point.**

 **Time: 4:53 pm**

Yugi was staring at Yami as if he'd just told him to shave his head or something. 'You're... serious about this. You really are, Yami?'

'I wouldn't have thought it if I wasn't. Do you trust me?'

'That's a ridiculous question! You know the answer, but this isn't about me trusting _you_...'

'Seriously guys, _what_?' Tristan groaned. 'You keep forgetting the rest of us can't _hear ya_ when you do the creepy psychic thing.'

'Sorry, we'll... explain in a moment,' Yami murmured, giving Yugi a nod. Then the two of them turned in unison to Bakura.

'Bakura,' Yugi said quietly, still glancing at the bubbling wall of darkness before them, all of them trying to ignore the shuddering earth beneath their feet. 'I need to you do something for me. It's... quite a big something, though, so if you don't want to...'

'Just say it, Yugi, _anything_.'

Yugi bit his bottom lip to suppress an inappropriate smile. Because that was _so_ Ryou. 'I need you to contact... the Other You.'

There was a pause of silence. Someone dropped a torch. Bakura squeaked a response: '...Alright, _almost_ anything.'

'I know it's a lot to ask, and I'm _sorry_ , but... Our phone reception doesn't work except inside of here and we need to get a message to the _outside_ world. You're the _only_ one that can do it. I need you to get a signal to your other self, and then I need him to get that message to Duke, and then Duke... well, it'll make sense. Hopefully. If Yami's plan works. Do you understand?'

Bakura continued to stare at him, bewildered, 'Of course, but I don't see...'

'When you hear the message, you'll understand.'

'You're sayin' we should _trust_ that guy? Joey muttered uneasily.

'Yes. He might be of questionable morality,' Yugi muttered, 'but he wouldn't want Ryou dead. Trust me, he'll take the message. Ryou?'

Ryou Bakura paused for one long, trembling moment, and then he took a deep breath. Yugi knew what happened the last time his other self had been allowed inside of Bakura's head; he remembered the pain and fear in Bakura's eyes when he thought about the monsters he killed,. The thought of returning the signal was very painful to him. 'Alright, Yugi. I'll try.'

Yugi took hold of Bakura's arm, in a vague gesture of comfort. 'It's okay. We'll be right here the whole time. You don't have to be afraid of him.'

'I'm not,' Bakura said far too quickly. Then he paused, glimpsing at the growing wall of darkness besides them, and smiled faintly. 'Well... not so much. Not anymore.'

He reached out a hand to take Yugi's, somehow knowing that this was exactly what they had to do.

* * *

 **Location: New York, 9th Avenue International Television Centre"**

 **Time: 4:16 am**

There was no question as to whether or not the creature was still alive.

In fact, judging from the way it had flopped so suddenly to the ground, with a bone crunching thud, it had probably been as good as dead long before Marik got to it. Now it was lying in the corridor in the darkness. Its fingers curled into insect-tight balls. Ishizu sat there for a moment, catching her breath and staring at the figure lying prone on the floor. Odion's hand on her shoulder was a warm and constant reassurance.

'He's human.' Marik said, speaking so calmly you wouldn't believe that a few moments ago he had been brandishing the Millennium rod and whispering ancient, cold incantations to freeze the monster in its tracks. Now the being lay prone before them, face trapped in an expression of paralysed rage. 'Or he _was_ , at any rate. That much is clear... must've been one of the night security.'

'A human, infected by darkness.' Odion said darkly, hands curling into fists. 'He's probably amongst the first to undergo such a transformation outside of Yugi's location.'

'But he's dead.' Marik frowned in confusion. 'I hardly did anything. 'All I meant was to shock him, I—' and then he seemed to notice the man's hands curled tightly around his own throat. He and Ishizu realised what must have happened almost simultaneously. They realisde what the man had been trying to do, when he lunged at them out of the darkness. 'Oh.'

'He tried to take his own life,' Ishizu whispered, shivering, understanding coming to her so quickly that it's almost painful. 'This human must have been one of the purer ones.' One such as Yugi; who couldn't tolerate the corruption of the dark magic spreading steadily across the planet; who was twisted and terrified by the sensation growing like a cancer from within.

Dark magic may have been ugly, but it was not by it's nature evil... And yet to one such as this, with nothing but light within their body, it was pure poison. This man had been lunging at them not just to attack, but to beg them for his own destruction, to plead for escape...

Marik had given him his wish.

'Then we were correct,' Ishizu said, trying to shake away the coldness in her gut. 'The darkness is spreading. The fear and rage we see outside is only the beginning.'

The man's face was pale, his skin seeming to have been stretched taught around the veins and arteries of his neck. His eyes bulged.

Could this be a fragment of what was happening in Europe? Were Yugi and the others facing down creatures such as this? Humans turned into tools of darkness? Ishizu shuddered at the idea of Yugi ending up just like this poor mortal, and pushed the thought out of her mind.

They needed to find the recording studio. Something told her this, so clearly and plainly that it might as well have been a spoken voice.

Ishizu decided that, spooky voice in her mind or no, they had no choice but to trust it, and began to walk blindly into the darkness, stopping only to reach down and carefully close the eyelids of the man lying on the ground before them.

She mentally squinted against the darkness swelling in her brain as they moved deeper into the building. Momentarily, she found herself cursing the Millennium necklace for getting her involved in this. For only the briefest of instances, Ishizu found herself hating her own heritage.

The feeling passed quickly as she reminded herself that it was merely the darkness talking; the ugliness inside of her being brought to the surface by external shadows. Her brothers were experiencing similar sensations, no doubt. Particularly Marik, who had not stopped shivering since they arrived in New York, and was covering up his anxiety with bravado and false courage. He slowly reached out and took her hand in both of his, allowing her to draw strength from him.

It was all that he could do, and Ishizu was grateful for it.

'Whatever your plan, Ishizu, we'll follow. You understand that, don't you?'

Comforting as her brother's faith in her was, Ishizu still couldn't help but feel that she was walking them into a death trap.

* * *

 **Location: The Edge of the Shadow Realm at Domino City Airport**

 **Time: Irrelevant**

Yami Bakura's first reaction to the unexpected intrusion was "What the _fuck_?" coupled with a healthy dose of "get the hell out of here!" It'd been a long time since he was on the receiving end of a direct mind-to-mind contact and seeing his one-time host's body standing before him in the glare of his subconscious all of a sudden was not a little surprising.

' _Ah, it worked. Um... hello.'_

And yet, Bakura Ryou stood there before him, a nervous, shadowed outline of light in the depths of Yami Bakura's mind, gazing at him through deep, brown eyes. For all the world he looked exactly as he did in real life, if with the faintest outline of white surrounding his body. Yami Bakura smirked. He hadn't thought the whelp had the power to do something so _massive_...

'And where exactly do you think you've been, surface?' Yami-Bakura muttered, his tone more amused and intrigued than irritated. It was not like the speck could do any damage to him, after all... Not really.

' _I-it seems to me that I have about as much right to be in your mind as you do in mine, Other Me.'_

'Don't call me that,.' Bakura gruned. He looked his Other up and down appraisingly. The image of his small host stood before him, not trembling or shuddering or anything of the sort. There was no fear in his eyes. He merely stood there, looking a lot more firm and composed than Bakura knew Ryou could possibly feel. 'What do you _want_ , Surface?'

' _To deliver a message from Yugi,'_ Ryou says. ' _To Duke Devlin_.'

How convenient. Yami-Bakura smirked. 'And you want me to pass along this message?'

 _'Obviously.'_

Ha. What was he, Yami Bakura thought, irritably; a shadow-powered email service? 'And why would I do _that_ , little host? What incentive could you give me?'

' _How about this: if you don't then everybody will die. We're in Vienna in case you didn't know_ ,' Ryou explained calmly. ' _The shadows are so deep here you can't find the light anymore. We're trapped and we're going to die. And then the rest of Europe is going to be transformed into a shadow hell. And then_ they'll _probably all die as well. You don't want that. Not really. You're not Zorc.'_

'Really?' Bakura muttered, testing the waters a bit. He wanted to see how much his host understood him, he wanted to know... 'Fair enough. You're not much use to me dead.' Bakura reached out and ran a hand through his host's not-quite-real hair and sneered. 'Alright then, little Ryou, what is it you'd like me to say to him?'

* * *

 **Location: Domino City Airport,**

 **Time: 10:53 am**

'What the hell—?!'

The air caught in Duke's throat, mostly because Bakura had just grabbed his arm and was clinging on with all the fierceness of an angry, white haired lobster. Serenity yelped in confusion, clinging to her seat and frowning.

Duke grunted, extracting his arm 'Gah! Bakura, what—?!'

'Shut up.' Bakura snapped, and Duke noticed the spirit's eyes were dull and dark; that his mind was perhaps not quite in the same place as the rest of him.

'W-what's happening?' Serenity whispered.

'If I knew I'd tell ya, 'Ren—'

'I said shut _up_ , mortal.' Bakura snapped again. 'I'm trying to take a message here.'

'...A message.' Duke gave Serenity an uneasy smile. 'From who, exactly?'

Bakura didn't answer. Not even to shout an explicit. He just kept staring, as if looking into something deep, dark, and endless. Serenity stayed quiet, trembling in her seat. The silence seemed to go on for as long as it took the grey storm clouds overhead to cross the sky and vanish into the horizon. The visitors to the airport sweeping past them thoughtlessly the whole time. Flights still cancelled. Planes still delayed.

Then Bakura looked up, blinked and twisted his neck in the manner of someone sorting out a cramp. He looked at Duke. 'Alright, speck. My little host has a message for you. And like it or not, you're going to listen to it.'

* * *

 **Location: Vienna International Airport, the "Travelling Man Arcade".**

 **Time: 4:51 pm**

Six minutes.

It had been exactly six minutes since the monsters first entered the arcade, seeking desperately for the source of warmth and light that was Mokuba's body. It had also, Mokuba thought, probably been the longest six minutes of his life. He looked up to see Marcus; now deprived of the chair he'd been using to defend his master from their onslaught. He had been using his bare hands to keep them from going any further. That he'd kept it up as long as he had was a minor miracle.

No longer.

Mokuba hissed as electricity burned his palms; sparking from the haphazard system of wires and controls he had desperately hotwired together. It was ridiculously unsafe, but still better than having those monsters claws around his throat. The second the lights in the arcade went up, the creatures had screamed and scattered, and Mokuba saw exactly what Yugi had meant about their being moths to a flame. Drawn into their own destruction, they kept batting and shrieking as they clawed at the activated machinery around them. Arcade games, motorcycle machines, shrieking dance mats, glittering, flickering toy booths, and the constant, screaming noises that to any normal human being would be nothing more than irritating. To these monsters the pain was terrible and intoxicating. Mokuba winced as the creatures scattered, shrieking in pain. It was hard to think of them as once being human, with their twisted, deformed bodies and angry, confused eyes, and yet somehow, Mokuba felt sorry for them.

This sympathy only deepened as he reached out and flicked the final switch controlling the arcade's power grid. There was a spasm of light and electricity, and then the entire building was bathed in light.

Mokuba sat on the floor for a second, gathering his breath in the suddenly noisy arcade. The machines had all come alive when he reactivated the power. Both this room, and a couple of adjacent stores, were glowing with a thousand coloured lights. The sound of an old pop song was trembling in the speakers.

 _He_ did this, Mokuba realised, with just a few emergency batteries and his guardian's radio. It was hardly the most accomplished of his achievements, but he couldn't feel more pleased with himself if he tried. Mokuba got slowly to his feet, staggering slightly, realising that the monsters had been clawing at his skin even as he worked furiously on the control panel.

He found Marcus within seconds, lying behind a bank of computers. There is too much blood on the floor – dark, red, and human. Patches of white skin, and...

'Oh.'

The word emerged from his mouth quietly, but it seemed louder than anything else. Even louder than the jaunty music coming from the speakers.

The adrenaline died away as quickly as it came. He was dead. Mokuba knew without having to check, but he did anyway, a numb sensation crawling over his bones as he reached out a hand to his guardian's body, searching for a pulse, knowing he wouldn't find one. Knowing there was no real sense in looking, but feeling the need to anyway because that, he told himself, was just what his brother would do. To a Kaiba there was no such thing as surrender, not even when things seemed more hopeless than they ever had before.

Marcus was dead, and the last thing he did was pray that Mokuba knew what he was doing.

Until this very moment, Mokuba would've promised him that he did. But now... Now Mokuba Kaiba was fifteen years old, and he was alone in an empty city. In a brilliantly bright arcade, with monsters outside, a body inside, and his brother seemed so far away that he might as well be back in Domino.

Mokuba sucked in a breath, and somehow, kept it from becoming a sob when he let it out.

Kaiba's did _not_ surrender to their emotions. Not when there was surviving to be done.


	17. Chapter Sixteen - Phone Tree Version 2

**Chapter Sixteen - Phone Tree Version 2.0.**

* * *

 **Location: Domino City Interchange,**

 **Time: 11:02 am**

In the middle of a busy city interchange, beneath a sky too dark for comfort; with a ranting, former-evil-spirit on one side and nervous teenager on the other, Duke Devlin was making a phone call.

Actually he was making several calls. Most of them weren't getting through – especially to the people who he knew were located fairly close to Europe. The closer people were to the epicentre of the disaster, the harder it was for signals and messages to penetrate the wall of shadow energy which was currently swamping the planet.

He didn't stop to think about what they were doing, because if he did, he knew he'd start to realise just how ridiculously insane and implausible this plan was.

'My other self is an idiot, you know.' Yami-Bakura said unhelpfully.

Duke ignoredthe spirit's goading. He hadn't time for Yami-Bakura's attachment complex with his Other Self. All Duke knew was that Ryou was talking right into Yami Bakura's head not a few minutes ago and now...

'You've been making phonecalls ever since we left the airport and you've had... what? One reply? Out of fifty? Give it _up_ , Devlin, this is never going to work.'

Duke continued to ignore him. As unlikely as it seemed, a plan was slowly falling into place. It was fairly simple, really. The only difficulty was that _he_ was the one who has to make it work, and Duke figured that nobody could blame him for feeling a little nervous about that. It wasn't like he was making all these calls to arrange a business meeting after all. Not exactly anyway.

Serenity sat shuffling uneasily in the seat behind them, worrying at her bottom lip. But her hands were clenched into fists. He'd explained the plan to her in a rush as they ran back to the car, and he was sure she only half understood exactly what they were doing, and yet she went along with him anyway. Because she trusted him, he supposed. That thought left a warm feeling in Devlin's stomach, and he tried to crush it down by imagining all the myriad ways in which Joey Wheeler could kill him for it. Besides, they had bigger things to worry about. He hissed as yet another number he needed turned out not to be in his phonebook.

'Serenity, you wouldn't have the number for a guy named _Valon_ , would you?

'Valon?'Serenity frowned, digging out her mobile phone. 'Um, wait a second, I think... Yes, Mai gave it to me just a few months back. She said it was for emergencies only. _Big_ emergencies.'

'Hm. Monsters in Europe, freaky, stormy skies in Domino, Bakura daring to step inside of Yami Bakura's head... Yeah, I'd say that counts as a biggie. Hand me your phone? Thanks.'

Yami Bakura hisses irritably. 'Oh, for the love of Ra, are you mortals even listening to me?'

'No, because all you're doing is trying to convince us that this is a bad idea, which we already damn well know.' Duke snapped. 'It's still the only idea we have. _You're_ the one who gave me the message in the first place.'

'Only because my ridiculous little pet practically begged me to do so. I still think it's foolish. If it fails then wrecking all of Europe will be the least of our problems.'

'Look, the way things are going there's gonna be nothing left of Europe anyway. I know Bakura, there's no way he'd go inside of _your_ head unless he thought it was really important. If this is the only plan we have, then we're going to have to run with it... Unless you want to sit around and wait until the monsters Ryou told us about start crawling out of the drainpipes _here_ as well as in Vienna.'

'Given the options, I think I'll take my chances with the crazy plan. I'm calling Valon now, Duke. Here.' Serenity said, handing over her mobile. Duke took it without looking and waited, listening to the "engaged" tone chiming for a few moments – _Damn_ _it_. 'Another dead end. But isn't that guy meant to be in Australia? You can't get much further away from Vienna than Australia!'

'Oh, here,' Yami Bakura snatched the phone out of Duke's hands before he could protest. There's a moment, a flickering of dark sparks made the inside of the car prickle with static, then Yami Bakura handed the phone back and Duke took it suspiciously, handling it delicately. '...What did you do?'

'A focused dark magical energy field,' Bakura speaks slowly and evenly, as if sounding it out for a five year old. 'The same thing I did before when I appeared in this car. To put it in a way your primitive mind will understand: its _magic_. You should be able to call just about anyone now and the dark energy shouldn't stop you. It _will_ make us a lot more obvious to whatever is going on out there, or course, but if that's a risk you're prepared to take...'

Duke stared at the phone in his hand was if it might bite him. 'But why? You think this is a crazy idea.'

A smirk. 'I still do. Crazy, and potentially _very_ destructively entertaining. Besides as you say, _what other choice is there_? Let's just agree that you owe me a favour. With witnesses.' He leered at Serenity. She scowled right back at him. Her brother's sister, through and through, once you got down to it.

Duke looked Yami Bakura squarely in the eyes. He has no doubt whatsoever that Yami Bakura would take him up on that favour at a later date. So instead he turned backwards in his chair and handed the phone to Serenity. 'Okay. Serenity, I need you to help me out. Keep calling the numbers Bakura gave us.'

'Me? But ...what do I say?'

'Just tell them what I told you. We have to get moving.'

Duke hissed, twisting the steering wheel, and turning sharply into a side road leading to the city. 'Oh, wonderful, wherever we're going we're taking the scenic route,' Yami Bakura said. 'And exactly where _are_ you taking us anyway?'

'Kaiba Corporation,' Duke says. 'We need to get there before Rebecca accesses the global network, which gives us twenty minutes tops. We're taking a shortcut.' And before either of them can could or ask what the hell Duke meant by _accessing the global network,_ , he pressed the accelerator and sped off at a ridiculous pace through the blessedly empty streets of Domino City.

 _Ring ring, ring ring, ring ring, ring ring._

* * *

 **Location: Hong Kong Central Film Studio, Trailer of Vivian Wong.**

 **Time: 10:10 am**

'Alright, alright, I'm _answering_... Urgh. _Damn_ these agents, don't they ever stop asking for money? Hellooo, this is Miss Vivian Wong. I'm sorry but I'm _very_ busy right now, I'm about to have my eyebrows done and...'

'Oh? Duke _who_? Sorry, you'll have to refresh my memory, honey; I meet so many businessmen these days. Oh! Of _course_ , darling Yugi's little friend! How've you _been_ , sweetie? How's Yugi? Have you seen him lately? I _do_ keep meaning to call but uh... after our last meeting, you know, things might not be entirely...

'Oh, that's sweet of you, but really I've been stuck here with nothing to do except look out of windows at those awful clouds all day. This weather has completely ruined our schedule. Really is terrible, isn't it? I mean—

'What? Ah, so you didn't call to socialise? Oh well. I—'

'Hon, have you been _looking_ out of the windows? I _know_ there's something going on.

'...Well _clearly_ it's some kind of cyclone, or... tornado or something... Of course I know those two are the same thing! Honestly, stop being a smart-mouth; what did you call me for?

'You need me to _what_? Mister Devlin are you absolutely—

'What? _Yugi_ s _right in the middle of all this_?! You mean he's in Europe? Right _now_?

'Oh good grief, I... what? So wait, this thing that's going down in Vienna, the reports on all the news channels, you say that it's to do with _him_? Oh, Yugi, you foolish little hero, what on earth—!

'In a minute, Devlin, I'm trying to build up a suitable dramatic atmosphere here!

'No, I honestly don't have the foggiest what he means either, but it _sounds_ serious! What's that? Well of _course_ I can do it, just you _watch_ , honey. The director –you know, he's the same guy who worked on Sunset Beach in the nineties?– he's _completely_ got the hots for me. Trust me, all I have to do is bat my eyelids at him a little and he'll roll right over. What I want to know is _why_?

'Really? ...You can do that? How'd you get access to Kaiba Corp—

'You honestly think that's going to _work_? What's the matter with you, Mister Devlin? Is this meant to be some kind of a prank call?!

'Oh... _fine_ , I'll trust you, for Yugi's sake, but I _warn_ you if this is some kind of joke...

'Right, got it. I'll be there. Though I don't have the foggiest how you're going to—oh, you're right, I'll think of something. I'll call back when I get there!'

 _*Click.*_

'Vanessa! Vanessa, honey, hold off on that facial, I have more urgent matters to deal with! And where's my emergency going-out-in-a-thunderstorm-waterproof-make-up kit?!'

* * *

 **Blue Estate, Cape Town, Australia.**

 **Time: 04:10 am**

'Ngh... H'lo?

'Whuh? Wheeler? Hang on who...? _That_ Serenity? It's _four in the morning here_ , how'd you get this number? Mai? Damn, I told her not to spread it.

'Look sorry, but I think I'm justified in being a little grouchy when some lass in Japan calls me at four in the morning on _reverse charge._ Some of us have jobs, you know. No, no, I'm sorry just... Urgh, I'm a total jerk first thing in the morning is all. What do you want?

'In Vienna? Sure who could miss the news?

'Mai's there? ... _All_ of them are there?

'What? Oh be serious, kid, what do you think _I c_ an possibly do?

'Oh, don't you use the blackmail card on me, Wheeler, I _know_ your brother's game and be damned if you ain't got his genes! I'm just _saying_ I'm nothing special, there's no way I can get into a TV studio!

'...What about my association with Doma? What does that have to do with—

'Oh, right.

'I... (sigh). Okay, look, this isn't gonna be a walk on the beach, but I'll try. Just make sure that Devlin sends those emails _right_ now, okay? I am _not_ walking into Canberra Film Studio only to be kicked out on my ass by people thinking I'm a lunatic ranting about the end of the world and monsters in the streets of Vienna! S'alright. Fine. And you _owe me_ , kid.'

 _*Click*_

'Bloody people, four in the morning... The things I do for you, Mai Valentine.'

* * *

 **Location: The Turtle Game Store, Domino, Japan.**

 **Time: 11:20 am**

'Hello, this is the Turtle Game Store, how may I help...? Oh, Serenity, hello dear!

'Yes, I know, I've been watching the news. And judging from this phone call you're about to tell me that I was _right_ to worry when Yugi sent me that rather rushed email the other day telling me to warn Joey that he may have to activate the Phone-Tree, hm?

'Oh... Oh, for- those boys are just _trying_ to give my pacemaker a failure aren't they?

'No, no, I'm alright, Serenity, just tell me what is going on. This mess in Europe... its Yugi's doing?

'No, of _course_ I don't think he started it. Dear, why would I...? Oh, Yami Bakura. He's been giving it the lip again, I expect. Just ignore him, sweetheart, it's what I always do. He's like a moth to a candle, eventually he'll just—

'Sorry, sorry, rambling. I'm old, unhealthy, and concerned for my grandson, it's a very dangerous combination. What do you need? Or rather what do Yugi and Yami need?

'Oh, Serenity, I appreciate that you felt the need to warn me. Which is a damn sight more than my own _grandsons_ thought to do, honestly, when they get back here...

'Well as it happens, yes, I _do_ have contacts in the Middle East... Yes, and Russia. And a couple in South Africa, and Europe, of course. Assuming, ah... that my old colleagues didn't rip up my number in disgust when I published that paper on Duel Monsters in ancient Egypt with Professor Hawkins that is. Funny story that, Serenity, I'll have to tell you sometime. But what do you need me to do with them?'

'Oh... well I'm not sure my influence extends to _broadcasting_ , but I'll do my best, you can count on that.'

* * *

 **Location: Pensacola, Florida, Industrial Illusions Headquarters.**

 **Time: 09:05 pm**

' _Greetings! You've reached the American Branch Main Office of Maximilian Pegasus, I'm sorry but I'm unavailable for comment right now, so if you're a journalist assume I said absolutely nothing on the subject of my upcoming deals with the Schrodinger Corporation, and if you're anyone else who thinks they may be worth my time, then please leave a message after the tone.'_

* _ **Beep**_.*

' _Oh, damn it, only Maximilian Pegasus would be_ out _doing business during a world crisis. Ah... Mister Pegasus? This is Duke Devlin, the head of your partner firm Black Crown? Now this isn't really a business call, but as you may have noticed, we have a serious incident taking place down in—'_

* _ **Beepclick**_ *.

'Why Mister Devlin, what a pleasure it is to hear your voice during this difficult time! I apologise, I've had so many prank calls lately that I've just been letting everything go to the answering machine. You have need of me?

'Yugi, you say? That does seem serious.

'But of course, with half of my employees calling in absent and the other half simply AWOL, I had begun to suspect that something rather monumental _was_ up with the world order. So far I appear to be unaffected, as is the case with Croquet. And my tea lady, thank goodness. I honestly don't know how I'd manage all of this without a strong coffee and the occasional spritzer... Yes, I _do_ watch the news.

'He is? Well, that hardly surprises me; it is _so_ like him to be stuck in the middle of something like this.

'Oh? That's... a very particular request, Dukey boy. And who, pray tell, is this _Yami_ fellow? No, no, of course, first things first. You say you need access to my _satellites_? And that you wish to coordinate with... Now _really_ , Duke, I appreciate your novelty; after all that's why I sponsored your business, but do you honestly think _Kaiba Corporation_ would ever agree to this? You know of our little rivalry–'

'...What do you mean they've already _given_ permission for the link up?

'From Kaiba-boy himself?

'I... see. And... you need me to negotiate for Schrodinger Corp, correct?

'...Goodness, what on earth are we _planning_ here, some kind of worldwide military coup?

'That's quite a claim. Am I sensing a hint of desperation in this strategy?

'I thought so. Hmmm well it's just lucky for you that your partnership and skills have been such a contribution to the Industrial Illusions Empire, my boy. Of course I'll see what I can do. Oh, and Duke? Try not to let the boy do anything _too_ overtly heroic. I know what he's like, after all, and strangely enough, I find that I'm starting to prefer him in one piece... so to speak.

'Of course. Good day, Mister Devlin. We shall speak again soon, I hope. Provided that the world doesn't come to an end within the next few hours, that is.'

* _ **Click**_.*

* * *

 **Location: Miami, Schrodinger Corp. Family Mansion.**

 **Time: 10:15 pm**

'W-well, sure, Mister Pegasus but I don't see why... Really? _Kaiba Corp_? No way! You're... sure it was really _Kaiba_ who gave the agreement? Because the last I checked, he said that if our company ever came within a hair's breadth of him again then he'd—

'Oh. No, my brother... isn't here, but don't worry about it, sir! It might actually be better if he doesn't get too involved with this. I mean, it's Kaiba Corp, you know?

'You've got it, sir. I'm sure I can handle the transfer myself. It's just a simple matter of talking to a few people. Do you think—I mean...

Well, Yugi, and all the others, they'll be okay, right?

'Um, sorry, I know that's not very professional of me, but whatever's going on in Europe right now seems pretty whacked out, I'm just... concerned.

'...Sure I trust you, sir. Not that I honestly believed I'd be saying that five years ago. Um. No offence. Okay. I'm heading for our Industrial Department now. Shouldn't take me more than twenty minutes to get the whole thing online.

'Okay, then I'll have it ready in _ten_ minutes. Leon out.'

...

'Oh my god, my brother is never going to believe this.'

* * *

 **Location: The Nevada Desert.**

 **Time: 12:00 pm,**

'Ah hello? Yes that would be this trailer, wait one moment her. Rebecca, dear?'

'On it, Gramps, thanks... Hey there, whatever this is it had _better_ be _importa._.. Yugi? Yugi is that you?'

'...'

'Oh, it's just you, Duke... No, sorry, it's just... I've been getting really freaked out over here! Have you heard from them? I just know they're right in the middle of this, I can _feel_ it. I can't get any calls through: there's a lot of interference and I'm starting to think that's _not_ because I'm in a trailer in the middle of a desert... In fact, now that I think about it, how the heck are _you_ managing to call me?'

'...'

'... Magic, huh? Ha ha. But seriously, Duke, how?'

'...'

'...Really magic.'

'...'

 _'_ Urrrrgh, why does it always come back to the stuff? Yugi better not be getting his soul ripped out of his body again! What the heck is—Wait what?'

'...'

'You're... I'm sorry, Duke, could you explain that again?'

'...How don't have to do it that slowly, I'm not an idiot, I just can't believe what I'm hearing!'

'...'

'Well, yes, I _have_ known Yugi to be capable of basically anything, but... _**linking up**_ _ **Kaiba Corp, Schrodinger Corp, and I2's satellite systems and connect them to the worldwide broadcasting network?**_! Are you _serious_? That's like... never gonna happen!'

'...'

'...What do you eman, "they've _already_ agreed"? Holy crud, now I _know_ I'm hallucinating. Next you'll be telling me there are mutant elephants in the streets of—'

'...'

'Oh never _mind_ , Duke, _what_ is all this about?'

'...'

'Seriously? No, wait, explain that again, and don't kiddify your data this time, for pities sakes, I _have_ a degree! My adolescent brain isn't gonna explode from the intensity of your great wisdom. In fact I _probably_ know more than you do.'

'...'

'Okay, okay... Sorry. I'm just worried, that's all... What you're suggesting _is_ pretty crazy. I'm not sure it's possible to sync up so many different networks like that, at least not without international clearance...'

'...'

'Hey, I never said I _couldn't_ do it! I'm just... going to have to call in a few favours.'

'...'

'Heh, you're asking whether or not _I'm_ up to date on the latest software? Devlin, I'm sitting in the most kitted out trailer in all of Nevada. And there are a _lot_ of trailers in Nevada.'

'...'

'What? Okay, I get what you're saying, but what good is that if we can't even send them a call? There's too much interference... Oh, wait, _Magic_. Of _**course**_. I just have to trust that _magic_ can do what technology can't, as per freakin' usual. Anyway, yeah, that just might be enough to punch through all of this freaky interference but... what then? We'd just have one huge broadcasting signal on our hands, what do we do with it?'

'...'

'...W-Well sure. I mean it'll be a little difficult from all the way out here. Heh. Our little trailer might have some trouble processing all that data at the same time... you're _sure_ she's in New York?'

'...'

'What, do you think I use anything _less_ than the best equipment? Don't worry about it, Duke. You just patch me through and tell me when you need me. Good luck, okay?'

'...'

'Heh. Coming from you, Devlin, I suppose I should probably faint or something. You're welcome. Now _**don't screw this up**_. Hawkins out.'

* * *

 **04:18 am, New York, 9th Avenue, Main Broadcasting Studio 6.**

 _Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

'Ishizu, listen!'

Wait a moment. Hello? Who is... Serenity Wheeler? Yes, of course I remember you. This _is_ Ishizu, you have the right number, but Serenity, how in the name of the gods did you manage to get a _phone call_ through that interference?'

'...'

'...You're _what_?'

'...'

'Stop. I'm an Egyptologist, Miss Wheeler, not a computer programmer; I have no idea what you just said.'

'...'

'Oh, neither do you... Yes. But couldn't he take this call himself instead of expecting you to rattle off info you don't...? Oh, right. Yes, I see. He's calling _everyone else_. This must be turning into quite the collaborative project. At any rate, we're not in Egypt now. We're in... Well, we're in New York. Yes, that New York.'

'...'

'It's a long story, I'm sure you don't have time. Fortunately for you, a _TV Studio_ is exactly where we happen to be.'

'...'

'Yes, fortuitous isn't it? I knew it. I knew all along the Millennium Magic would not steer me wrong. Not _this_ time. Not with so much at state. A residual magical energy remains within me, as it does within us all. I think it may have been enough to trigger a psychic reaction. Maybe this place _is_ the key to helping Yugi... oh, sorry Serenity, you were saying?'

'...'

'No, what I mean is, I know why we were _sent_ here. It wasn't chance or fortune at all, it was _fate_.'

'...'

'Yes, I know, you don't believe in such things. But our current location is _uncannily_ beneficial. This is fate of a more individual kind, Serenity, the fate that people create for themselves out of their own will. Perhaps Yugi wanted us to be here now, whether he realises it or not. This is all part of the plan. But... you're right, of course, this is no time for discussion. Tell us what you need from us and we'll do it. And hurry. We are quickly running out of time.'

'...'

'...Of course. Good luck to you too.'

 _*_ _ **Click**_ _.*_

'Ishizu, is everything alright? Who was that?'

'...Serenity Wheeler, currently on her way to Kaiba Corporation in Domino, Japan. And yes, Marik, I think it just _might_ be alright now. Or at least things aren't as dark as they seemed before. We have a chance. I need you to both listen very carefully to my instructions...'

* * *

 _Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

 _Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

 _Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

 _Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

 _Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

 _Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

 _Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

 _Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

 _Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

 _ ***Click.***_


	18. Chapter Seventeen - The Only Message

**Chapter Seventeen - The Only Message That You Need To Send.**

* * *

 _"In the dark I see you with hope and despair all around_

 _And I know that we're still fighting in this darkness_

 _And with the fear of losing ground_

 _Danger hides in shadows, this wilderness of lost and found_

 _But in this closing darkness, among this terror there's a light we can see."_

 ** _\- Go Shiina, Rising Up._**

* * *

 _Beneath the known plane of awareness lay the Shadow realm. An intricate series of pathways and connections spreading darkness throughout the world. It was unstoppable as the earth's rotation, and just as much a part of it. Here and there, it crossed over, our world coming into contact with its borders and allowing some of that darkness to seep through._

 _However, there was no saying that such exchanges could not work the other way._

 _That was what happened now._

 _Yami Bakura reached outwards, and the darkness spread._

 _The human world was being pulled - tugged downwards, from a dark centre in the middle of Europe. It was dragging them deeper, the tear in the Danube growing and pulling them into the darkness beneath. Radio, satellite signals, wifi, bursts of electricity were carried through the Shadow Realm itself, hitchhiking on the back of the powerful signals crossing the globe. The darkness eating into the heart of the world was used against itself, as Yami Bakura sent trails of energy flickering and burning throughout the telecommunications systems of the planet._

 _The systems of darkness were already there, weaving their way across the globe. All he had to do was_ tweak _them a little._

 _It started with Serenity Wheeler's mobile phone, then spread outwards as effectively as a virus, moving from one system to the next, from one computer to another, and then from one country to spread across the globe. To the unknowing onlooker nothing had changed. But the entire world was slowly blossoming into a complicated system of darkness powered machinery._

 _Duke Devlin talked his way into Kaiba Corp with nothing but his nerve and the evidence of a mobile phone glowing like a dark light. And then Yami Bakura got to work once more._

 _He wouldn't pretend to understand such things as computers, but then he didn't have to. His magic did all the work for him. He worked, sending dark magic deep into the computer systems of Kaiba Corporation, just as he would send such power reeling throughout a living body, to manipulate and control them as he saw fit. His magic burst through Kaiba Corp firewalls and security programs as if they weren't there (no technology could truly interfere with such dark power as his, he thought smugly) and began their systematic takeover of the entire planet's computer systems._

 _This was the signal that Rebecca Hawkins, sitting in her trailer in North America, has been waiting for._

 _Knowing that there is no way an idea such as this would be accepted by any government bodies, she bypassed asking permission entirely and began to hack the United Nations central computer system._

 _Messages flew back and forth as Companies created joint ventures and link ups where none had ever been created before. Schrodinger Corp came to life in the darkness, forging digital connections across the globe. And, in a move which would later shock business dealers the world over (provided that anyone in the world still existed in order to be amazed) Industrial Illusions lowered its software walls to allow access to Kaiba Corp's mainframe. Decades of company secrets poured between them in the process, but this was unimportant. What was important was that they pooled their resources as no digital systems ever had before, nor ever would again. The world began to use the darkness threatening to swallow it whole, as it means of regaining communication. Information was literally piggybacking on the darkness. It could not have worked. It should_ not _have worked._

 _It did._

 _Yam Bakura was not exactly certain how they were going to get the darkness back_ out _again, but oh well. One dilemma at a time. He still has that puny Other Half of his to think about…He reached out to the shadows around him, seeing echoes of the human world beneath - the technology that crisscrossed their globe like an endless web of energy._

 _He had to admit... the Pharaoh's little idea was nothing short of brilliant. Provided this worked, of course... and Yami Bakura had seem far stranger things._

 _Magic and technology were not so different as people like Seto Kaiba would believe. And perhaps those similarities held the key to saving them all._

 _'Alright, littler Ryou, let's see what you do with_ this.'

* * *

 **Location: The Danube River, Epicentre.**

 **Time: 5:01 pm**

A quick glimpse at his (amazingly still-working) watch told Yugi that it was almost evening. At this time of year, the sun should be falling, a glistening orange over the Danube, turning the grey-green waters gold. On their first day in Vienna, they had gone to the river to watch that sunrise, trying to enjoy the moment even though they had already sensed the danger approaching.

'You're... sure it worked?' Téa asked for the umpteenth time, still unconvinced that they could trust Yami Bakura to deliver their message, much less play his part in full.

'Oh, he took my message alright,' Ryou muttered, sounding confident. His tone immediately changed to uncertainty, however. 'Whether or not the plan will succeed anyway is another matter. We're putting an awful lot of weight on my Other Self's abilities… and upon everyone else.'

His doubt was understandable. This plan was effectively held together with chewing gum and raw hope. Yami squeezed Yugi's shoulder. 'If this works, then they should be able to contact us soon. That is if Yami Bakura _is_ trustworthy.'

'I think he is,' Bakura said, calmly. Tristan and Joey looked at him as if he has a screw loose, but they couldn't deny that Bakura's hope was the only thing holding them together right now. Téa rubbed the back of her hand, where the imprint of a permanent marker used to be, so very long ago. 'But he's not the only thing your plan is dependent on, guys.'

Yami and Yugi exchanged a look.

Yugi thought of Pegasus ( _Item Holder, bereaved, tried to kill them once_ ), Schrodinger ( _bitter and enraged and maybe they can't trust_ him _entirely, not yet, but there's still his brother; surely they can rely on Leon_?), Devlin ( _trustworthy, friend now, still sharp as a tack_ ), and Rebecca ( _easily the most trustworthy of them all and so smart, if anyone could make this work..._ ). He imagined them interacting, connecting, working together via the very shadows that had previously held them back, as Yami Bakura opened the dark pathways. He imagined them working together to tie into the satellite systems of every country across the globe, saw them joining with Marik, signals becoming messages becoming stories.

Because that was what this was, really wasn't it? Right now their lives depended upon a story. A story told by a three thousand year old Pharoah. And a name. They all stand together silently in the shadows, hanging onto one another for comfort, praying this works. Slowly, Kaiba raises his phone to his face and dials a number…

Before them the shield of darkness pulses with veins of familiar, ugly energy. The pavement shudders. Yugi clutches his phone tightly in one hand, and Yami's hand even tighter in the other, and prays that this will work. _'Come on guys… you can_ do _this.'_

They continued to wait.

* * *

 **Kaiba Corporation Main Headquarters, Domino City, Tokyo, Japan.**

 **Time: 11:35 am**

'What... is he doing, exactly?' Serenity whispered.

Duke wished he had an answer for her, but he couldn't think of one which wouldn't send her reeling in a panic. They watched as Yami Bakura sits in the central chair of Kaiba's office (he'd enjoyed getting in here _far_ too much), his body glowing with a strange dark energy that reminded Duke far too much of the darkness on board the Kaiba Corporation blimp, during Battle City. All that fury and pain and all those shadows growing within...

He didn't touch the keyboards before him. The information on Kaiba's four large computer screens meant absolutely nothing to Duke. He suspected Yami Bakura was putting on an act for them.

'What he has to, I think...? And the best thing we can do is stay right here and make sure he doesn't try any funny business. I certainly don't want to have to explain to Kaiba when he gets back that we let a crazed maniac run rampant with his company's computers, do you? ' Duke said eventually. Behind them stood the security guards of Kaiba Corporation, looking bewildered and confused, but fortunately none of them seemed to be making a move to stop whatever Yami Bakura was doing... They were watching warily anyway, trailing their weapons back and forth between Duke and Yami Bakura.

was is still amazed that they got there in the first place, but a coded message from Seto Kaiba, including his own secret passwords and numerical codes all spoken in the correct order and language, had been difficult to deny. Duke would be worried about Kaiba Corp's security issues if it weren't for those guns they had pointed straight at him... Kaiba may have given them permission for this, but that didn't mean they were going to let they guard down for one moment.

Still, Duke almost couldn't blame them. He didn't feel any more comfortable about the strange man sitting in their employer's Big Chair and spitting dark energy in to the computer console either.

'You know, you can stop trailing your guns on us any time now, folks,' Yami Bakura chuckled. 'Believe me, if I _wanted_ to do anything untoward, your pathetic little bullets wouldn't do you a great deal of good.

'Ryou trusts him,' Serenity said faintly. 'Do you... think he's right to?'

'Well, nobody knows him like Ryou does,' Duke swallowed. 'I don't see what else we can do. Yami Bakura isn't usually _dishonest_ , Serenity. Therein lies the danger.'

'Then... then what he said to us before,' Serenity continued, still seeming unconvinced. 'About Yami Yugi letting the darkness into the world by... refusing to stay dead. Do you think it's true?'

'I... don't know. Maybe.' Duke said, knowing this would not satisfy Serenity, but at least the conversation was distracting her from the guns that were currently pointed at their backs. 'Ishizu said that the ceremony was necessary to close the gap between this world and the Shadow Realm... but she didn't know anything about what was meant to happen afterwards. Yugi won the duel against the Pharaoh... and then there was the Plana...'

'The... the what?'

'Long story. Better off asking Kaiba, if you can get him to give you a straight answer.' They both knew how unlikely that was. truthfully, Duke didn't feel he understood anything about this enough to say for certain what had happened. Yami had been dead. Gone. And then suddenly, he hadn't been... everything in between those twp events was something of a blur to him, even now, almost five years later.

'So' Serenity says. 'Without the Pharaoh... the gateways to the shadow realm remained open didn't they? All of this could've been the result of that'

''Ren, don't,' Duke said softly, squeezing her hand. 'It might _not_ work like that. How're we supposed to know how the Shadows work? There's no sense getting upset about this. We can't undo what happened.'

'I know, it's just... My brother is out there right now. He's fighting, Duke, just like they all are and... and we're just _stood_ here, watching some crazy guy mess around with a computer,' she clenched her hands into tight fists. 'I feel _useless_. And if a _ll_ of this had _something_ to do with Yami, if it's somehow all _his_ fault... Well, what are we supposed to _do_ with that information, Duke? What're we supposed to _say_?'

'Serenity...' Duke's stammered reply was interrupted by a sudden screech of laughter from Yami Bakura's chair. Duke felt the temperature in the room drop by several degrees. 'What...? Yami Bakura, what did you do?!'

'What I was _asked_ to do, you foolish mortal,' Yami Bakura laughed. Almost _cackled_ , in fact. Duke could feel Serenity fighting her urge to shudder as the temperature dropped around them. Duke could hear rifles cocking behind him but didn't move an inch as Yami Bakura got to his feet, hands still outstretched, laughing. 'So much energy, so much darkness... and all of it started by yours truly.' He glimpsed at Serenity, smiling. 'Take a good look, little Mouse, and _marvel_. _Witness_ the extent of the Shadow Realm's power.'

* * *

 **Location: Nevada Desert.**

 **Time: 12:08 pm**

'Testing, testing one, two, this is Hawkins Base Nevada calling Ishizu Ishtar, Ishtar come in, over.'

For a moment there was no response. Rebecca tried to ignore the static and strangeness tingling in her fingers as she twisted the knobs and dials of her computer, trying to tune into the Ishtar's signal. It didn't seem to be working. There was just not enough power left in her systems, not with the Shadow Realm messing up her energy sources. But slowly, Rebecca realised, this disadvantage was being undone. The power signals her computers gave off were increasing minute by minute, second by second. _Something_ was powering up her computer... it just wasn't anything _natural._

An Ishizu still wasn't responding.

She sighsed. 'Maybe they just haven't gotten the computers online yet.'

Grandpa coughed. 'Maybe so... Ah, my dear, not that I doubt your abilities, but are you _quite_ certain the internet routers should be _glowing_ like that?'

'Don't worry about it, Grandpa. I know what I'm doing.' Rebecca nodded. Though in truth, _glowing_ did not seem to be the correct word for it. Glowing implied light, and there was no light in this cabin except for the lamps. What was coming from her machines right now was the exact _opposite_ of light. A sort of anti-light.

Which... alright that made absolutely no sense whatsoever but hell, what about the Shadow Realm ever _did_? Rebecca was trying very hard not to think about exactly what could be powering their computers right now. She grit her teeth, speaking into the microphone again.

'Repeat testing, this is Rebecca Hawkins, running a call through _the_ weirdest, dark magic powered telecommunication system ever utilised, please respond Ishtar.'

Rebecca twisted the dial again. The static trembling down the line was mixed with a strange, almost guttural moaning, as if the machines around her were crying in pain. Rebecca shuddered, trying to ignore the darkness running in trails up and down her spine. When this was over, she was going to replace literally ever bit of technology she could and deep cleanse the bits she couldn't.

'Testing... oh, _darn_ it, I sound like a trucker or something, Ishizu, are you guys there or not?!'

The third time, it seemed, was the charm. _'...Re...ecca_? _Rebecca Hawkins, is that you?_ '

Rebecca beamed. 'Yes! Yes, I've got you, Ishizu, coming in loud and... And _not_ so clear. Just let me try and boost your signal!' She twisted a few more knobs but only succeeded in making the computer scream at her. 'Damn! Sorry, this is as good as I can get it. How are things where you are? Is the link up in progress?'

' _From w...t I can ascertain, then yes. But I won't pre...tend to understand a...y of this, Miss Hawkins. How are we even able to comm...icate? The Dark Energy of the Shadow Realm is blocking every satellite sig...al in the world.'_

'Welllll, according to Devlin's email, that's all Yami Bakura's doing, believe it or not,' Rebecca explained. 'Dunno how he _did_ it, but somehow he used his own dark powers to influence the telecommunications systems. Or some weird magic stuff like that. I don't know if we can trust him, but right now, he's the only hope we have of contacting anyone.'

' _Ah. Then we are attem...ing to fight fire with fire. Interesting. I'll deal with the magic, Miss Ha...kins. You deal with the comp...ter wizardry. My brothers seem to know what they are d...ing.'_

'Great, the former, evil wannabe-dictator knows his way around a film studio. I probably shouldn't be surprised,' Rebecca licked her lips nervously. While still talking to Ishizu, she began to transmit a message to Kaiba Corporation in Japan, watching uneasily as the terribly slow email made its way across the globe. _So much for the information superhighway._ 'I'm informing Duke of the link up now. In a matter of minutes we should have Kaiba Corporation, I2 and Schrodinger Corp's central mainframe computers online and working in cahoots. From there it should be a pretty simple deal for me to hack the military and then the worldwide cable network... That's when _you_ should start seeing something happening where you are. With any luck. Simple.'

 _Simple_ , she called it, but secretly Rebecca was shaking in her boots. They were, after all, in the middle of attempting to link together several major computer systems (in companies which normally served the _gaming industry_ of all things –why did _they_ have some of the most powerful systems in the world anyway, Rebecca would love to know?) Then she had to access the _military_ computers and add their power to the link up (without the CIA coming down on her within twenty five seconds), then she had to use all of that power to create a single television and radio signal to be broadcasted around the entire globe simultaneously.

And all of this had to be monitored, processed, and coordinated by a fifteen year old girl, sitting in a tiny computer shack in the middle of the Nevada desert. Oh, and some of the countries who's military unit she has to take over? Had nuclear missiles. S _well_. No pressure.

' _And then?'_

'And then you'll just have to hope I'm the genius I say I am, Ishtar. If this all workes the way we anticipated, then the only problem should be keeping my terminal from exploding due to the sudden power influx...' Rebecca replied. 'Now... what to say when we make the link up? How do I tell everyone we're ready?'

' _As I understand it Re...ecca_ ,' Ishizu's broken voice comes back after a moment. ' _Then the message is simple. They have already been told wh..t they need to do, they are simply waiting. The only message that you have to send, is "_ **Now** _"._ '

* * *

 **Location: New York, 9th Avenue International Television Centre.**

 **Time: 4:16 am**

Marik was standing in front of a huge bank of dark computer terminals in the middle of the 9th Avenue Centre.

There were red lights flickering beneath each screen as they slowly warmed up. They had activated the power alone, and thus far nobody seems to be paying heed to the fact that the Television centre was lightning up like a Christmas tree in the middle of the night. New York seemed more preoccupied with the disaster unfurling on their doorstep than with people breaking into the television studio, and Ishizu hoped it stayed that way.

Still, she couldn't help wondering why no other guards had come to try and stop them… why the only Guard they'd met so far was a half dead mutation.

'When you get down to it, sister, human electrical systems and Shadow magic aren't so different.' Marik said evenly, gazing intently at the computer screens before him. 'I have a good command of the latter, let's see if I can utilize it as well as Yami Bakura.'

'I don't believe you can Mind Crush a computer terminal, Master Marik,' Odion said, dryly.

Marik chuckled. 'Nope. But in all my travels while searching for the seven millennium items, do you think I never learned to find my way around a computer?' He pressed several buttons, the meaning of which Ishizu didn't understand. Then Marik stepped away from the console as the bank of screens before them blossomed into light. The entire room begins glowing as the computer terminals of every machine in the building were activated. But there was something strange about it… something not quite normal. The computers moaned rather than humming and whispered rather than clicking or screeching. Ishizu reached out a hand to touch the nearest terminal, and felt her skin crackling with a very familiar energy.

Shadow Magic, Ishizu realized in awe. The computers were all being powered by _Shadow Magic_.

'Yami Bakura,' Odion says, faintly. 'He did it. The connection has been realized.'

'Fight fire with fire,' Ishizu realizeds with slow amazement. 'He utilized the very same power that was blocking worldwide communications to _reactivate_ those same connections. The entire world is running on Shadow Power. Rebecca must have accessed the government mainframes… I have to admit, it's impressive.'

' _Testing... oh, d...rn it, I sound like a trucker or so...thing, Ishizu, are you guys th...e or not!'_

The three Ishtar's exchange a look of disbelief. Then Ishizu lunged for the nearest microphone. _'_ Rebecca? Rebecca Hawkins, is that you?!'

* * *

 **Location: Miami, Schrodinger Corp Main Tech.**

 **Time: 10:35 pm,**

Leon could hardly believe what he was seeing. Honestly, this blew any fairytale he'd ever read clean out of the water. His technicians and employees buzzed around the main computer terminals of the central lab, clearly struggling to believe what they were seeing too, as the signals between Kaiba Corporation and Schrodinger steadily opened up to one another.

Kaiba Corporation and Schrodinger Corp. Pooling resources. And with I2 in the background no less. Or maybe the technicians around Leon were more disturbed by the fact that the computers all seemed to be crackling with a strange black-white energy that Leon hadn't asked about. Mostly because he really _didn't want to know._

Only half as many as there should be. The workers they still has all seemed to be developing nervous twitches, wringing their hands tugging their hair, biting their lips. Whatever was happening it was spreading across the whole world like a bad dream. Leon could feel it tugging at his heart and tickling furiously in the back of his brain. He took a deep breath and tried his hardest to pretend that everything about this was totally normal.

And as Leon watched, the mainframes of Kaiba Corporation, I2 and Schrodinger began to come together as one. Years of company secrets and advancements were basically pouring into the gaps between their systems, but Leon didn't notice. He started barking out orders like a man three times his age, doing just as Pegasus had advised him. 'Alright, Maxwell, send a message to the following address: _rhawkins dot shiningfriend at nevada central dot com forward slash urgent_. Then… ' Leon takes a deep breath. 'Then hand over control of our main computer system to Kaiba Corporation. '

I…' The woman at the main terminal hesitated, staring at Leon as if her superior had just gone insane. Leon didn't blame her. Just thinking about doing something like this a day earlier would have probably cost the woman her job. 'But… Mister Schrödinger, sir, don't you think we should wait for your brother? The company policy states that—'

'I already told you, _he's_ the one who gave permission for this,' Leon said quickly, lying blatantly. All he knew right now was that there were more important thing at stake than the Schrödinger's fortune. That the world was turning upside down and that this might be their only hope… His brother would be mad, but right now, Leon was willing to accept that.

Besides, he hadn't been dumb enough to do all this without first making backups. He'd learned _that_ from Kaiba Corporation too, technically.

He wasn't sure whether to thank Rebecca for opening him up to these things, to a world of real fairytale nightmares beyond the safe solidity of digital reality and storybooks, or to curse her.

'Look, even as we speak I2 is doing exactly the same thing as we are, opening up their information and linking out systems together along with KC. When the connection starts to happen don't fight it, don't reject _anything_ you're seeing. Just let our mainframes come together. Kaiba Corp. will do all the work from there.'

'S- sir, really, even if that were acceptable, there's no way our systems are set up for such a combination! Our technology is incompatible! And these readings… a few hours ago our systems were barely functioning at all, thanks to whatever's happening out there, and yet now the power is going off the charts!' the woman swallowed. 'Frankly, this isn't normal; if the power ratings increase any further than the entire mainframe could go into total shut down! Shouldn't we close it down?'

'No. Pegasus said to expect something like this,' Leon muttered uneasily. 'I wouldn't bother calling the energy company, they have no control over what's happening to our systems right now,' Leon shuddered, struggling to keep his cool. After all, if this all turned out to be some kind of elaborate trick, he might've just flushed Schrodinger corps business down the pan. 'The merger will happen, Maxwell. I'm _certain_ of it.'

'But sir, that's… '

'Impossible? Yesterday I would've agreed with you but as you can _probably_ tell from the weird energy emanating from your terminal, Maxwell, we're no longer working to the rules of yesterday.'

A few seconds later, every computer in the room seems to cry in unison; a strange, unnatural sound not at all like any computer Leon has ever heard before. The technicians and white coats all around him tense and jump away in horror. As Leon watches, a bead of sweat runs slowly down his forehead. _Damn it, Siegfried, I_ really _hope you're not gonna get mad at me for this…_

'This is it. It's starting.'

* * *

 **Location: The Danube River, Shadow Realm Nexus Point.**

 **Time: 5:20 pm**

Their connection to Rebecca was thin and fragile, maintained by only the faintest of links with the shadows. All the power they had was being directed elsewhere. So she explained quickly, as best she could, in a language only Kaiba really understood.

' _Not sure, really. But wh...ever info gets lost in the transfer between companies is gon...a be your problem Kaiba, not mine. And the Shadow Magic which is effectively running the entire sy...em right now is just ignoring your firewalls and blo...ades anyway. We're talking an al... open system here, Kaiba. It's the only way this is gonna work_.'

' _Urgh_. Alright,, if that's the best you can do,' Seto sounded pained, and Yugi didn't blame him. They _were_ talking about exposing his entire empire to his enemies. Once Over, Kaiba...

Well ,the Kaiba of a few years ago would never have agreed to any of this.

'Make sure you isolate the National Defence Grids,' Kaiba went on. 'And make sure nobody gets the impression that we're aiming to blow them to kingdom come. The last thing we want is everyone assuming we're trying to instigate World War Three.'

' _Duh? You don't think I alr...y thought of that_?' Rebecca's angry voice came back down the line, and Yugi almost laughed because it's just so good to hear her voice, loud and proud and _still_ ready to shout down Kaiba, even in the middle of an apocalypse. ' _Anyway, we're attaching to the news broadcasting systems and bypassing the ...st of them, we won't be any...re_ near _the special defence grids_.'

'We _will_ be when you start hacking the satellites.'

' _I already planned that far ah...d, trust me, Kaiba, I'm an_ _expert_.' Rebecca sounded tetchy, and Yugi would've smiled if not for the air of anxiety under her proclamation. Téa reached out and sneaked her arm around Tristan's for comfort. Joey intertwined his fingers with Mai's. Everyone was silent, listening in on Kaiba's conversation with Rebecca, hoping to god that they knew what they're doing and this whole plan wasn't about to come falling down on their heads like so much radioactive fallout.

After all, it wasn't like Yami really understood how computers worked. And all of this plan had begun with him.

'Fine.' Kaiba said. 'Just don't let any of those imbeciles in on the company's reserved folders.' He pauses for a second before adding, rather grudgingly. 'I have to admit, you're good, Hawkins.'

' _Heh. Wow, colour me flattered. If anything's going to happen then... well, you should be se...ng it in about five minutes, if not..._ ' she trails off, uneasily. ' _Is Yugi there?_ '

'He's right next to me.'

' _Can you put him on the line for me? Just for a m...nt_?'

Seto passed the phone to Yugi, who took it in a hand which, to his credit, was barely shaking at all. 'Hey there, 'Becca.'

' _ **Don't you "Hey th...e, 'Becca" me**_!' Rebecca snapped at him, so loudly that her anger almost broke the brittle connection. Her voice blurred and hissed for a few moments, and Yugi rubbedhis ear in pain, before Rebecca's voice evened out. _'I know what's go...g on here, Mutou, and I don't like it This was all_ his _idea, wasn't it? What's he gotten you into_ this _time?!_ '

Yugi wavered. 'Rebecca, I—'

' _Do you know how long I was out here before any of you even got ar...nd to contacting me?_ ' Rebecca interrupted. ' _I've been out here for days, Yugi!_ Days _, stuck in a ca...per van in the middle of a desert! Wondering why everyone is being so cr...zy on TV, and you didn't think to tell me! The first thing I hear is that you're go...g to throw yourself into a d...th-trap and I have to help you_ do _it?_ '

Yugi swallowed. He had no idea how to respond, how to make this all make _sense_.

When they had first met, Rebecca had been an angry, frustrated little girl. She hadn't fit in with other kids her age because she was much too bright for them; she had scared them, and scared the teachers who were worried they wouldn't be able to handle her without ruining her, all that brain in such a small body... And yet for all her intelligence, Rebecca had still been just an eight year old child, who needed her teddy bear. It was years later now, and Rebecca wasn't that person anymore. Yugi couldn't fix this with a thrown bet and a gifted card.

So now here he was, standing in the middle of a deserted, death filled city, besides a wall of destruction which could tear apart the whole planet, with his friends at his side and a terrified girl trying to talk to him down the telephone. Thus was Yugi's life.

' _So... you g...t what this all could do to you... ight?'_ Rebecca said. ' _Don't tell me that you don't. I_ know _you_.'

'I know. But It'll all be okay, Rebecca, believe me, you know there's no other way to do this—'

' _What ga...bage! I'm not a li...le kid anymore, don't treat me like I don't understand! My_ grandfather _discovered how powerful duel cards are in the first place, Yugi... and he told all of that stuff to me. I know what you using all this pow...r means! If it goes wrong or... or even if everything goes perfectly... it could still kill you, couldn't it?_ '

'I'm sorry,' Yugi sighed. He moved away from the rest of the group, trying to ignore their anxious and suspicious stares; especially the glare of Yami was is hearing this whole conversation in his head. 'Rebecca... do you trust me?'

'...'

'Because I trust you, you know. With everything. Even with Yami. You know that. Now I'm asking you for the same trust back in return.'

' _Shut up! Idiot, I_... _I don't know_.' She soundsedclose to tears, as if only raw nerves and anger were holding her together. ' _You don't always tell me the_ truth _. Neither of you do. And now... you expect me to do this for you and... and I do...'t know what it all means! Yugi_ —'

'Rebecca,' Yugi repeats, cutting off her rant before it can begin. 'It's _okay_.'

There is a moment of silence, except for a sound like sniffling down the line. ' _Y-Yugi_?'

'Yeah?'

' _Um. Connections w...ing. Gotta hang up now. Work to do_.'

Yugi nodedslowly, even though she couldn't see it. He wished he could reach out and hug her. He wished he could explain exactly what was about to happen. He wished he was smart enough to speak to her on _her_ terms, in her language. He wished he could tell his friends what it's like, to be here at the centre of all their expectations, with nobody but Yami present to pick him up if he fell. He wished he could tell them all how much they meant to him and make it obvious. But he couldn't do any of those things, so instead he opened his mouth.

'Okay. Seeya later... 'He said. 'And Rebecca? You've _never_ been just some little kid.'

* * *

 **Location: Nevada Desert. Point Zero.**

 **Time: 12:12 pm**

Rebecca Hawkins reached into the drawer of her desk and pulled out her deck.

The card on top was the same one as always. She'd never used it; always took it out of her deck before starting (after all, most duels played for an ante these days and with it being a one of a kind, it pretty much counted as the rarest thing her family had ever owned: even rarer than her grandpa's torn Blue Eyes White Dragon). She didn't want to risk losing it to someone who didn't understand. Even to this day, she had no idea what it would actually _do_ if she laid it on the field.

She could feel her grandpa at her back and leaned into him when he reached out to touch her shoulder, hanging onto him for stability and courage.

'So then,' Grandpa said, warmly. 'Ready to take on the world again, are we? Just like your mother. Just like your _grandfather_. I admit neither I nor your mother know a great deal about these _machines_ of yours, but—

He cut off when Rebecca lunged and buried her face in his jacket, feeling five years old again, a little kid in need of comfort. A part of her cursed her own immaturity. This was absolutely _not_ the way for somebody to react when they were about to hack into a delicate and highly classified government agency to try and save the world before it blew up in their faces. She cried a bit anyway. "Grandpa" meant that was okay.

Rebecca mumbles something into his jacket. 'What's that, Rebecca?'

'...Love h'm.'

'I know, dear. And now I know you'll make me proud... Even if I have to admit to having little idea what you're actually doing.'

Rebecca sniffed, wiping her eyes on grandpa's shirt, and took one last look at the card in her hand. _The Ties of Friendship_ stared back at her with an almost accusatory brightness, As if it was asking what she was thinking... If she could really do what she was about to do.

'Idiot.' She hissed at it through her teeth, angrily wiping away the tears before then could even start to think about falling. 'Of _course_ I trust him.'

Then she puts the card back in the drawer, forced her trembling hands to still, typed a single word into the dialogue box before her, and pressed " _send_ ".

The connections opened within a matter of seconds. At first, the UN wasn't even aware of the hacker racing through their machines, digging out the source codes she needed to take complete control of the system. At the same time hackers were at work in I2's main headquarters, and Leon too was racing through codes at lightning speed in the basement of Schrodinger Corps technological department.

The UN technicians found themselves locked out of every system, their satellites control being diverted to a completely different location. At the same time, the missile silos and attack barracks of every country, war machine and submarine known to man were blocked off, cutting off the possibility of _any_ military leaders getting the wrong idea and launching an attack at... well, whichever enemy country sprung to mind when they thought about launching an attack. The hackers worked as one to link entirely disparate systems; systems which under normal circumstances, would not even have been compatible.

But there was nothing more powerful than Magic, especially not under the control of an intelligent human mind. Shadow magic did not work as human computers did. It wasn't blocked by incompatible systems or antivirus software. It wasn't held back by distance or signal or connectivity. Carrying out so many tasks at once was almost nothing with Yami Bakura's distant guidance. Slowly but surely (at least by computer standards), a fifteen year old girl was coordinating every satellite on the planet, concentrating their signal together, and sending a message directly to a very specific room at 9th Avenue Television Studio in New York:

 _Begin countdown_.

 _Five..._

 _Four..._

 _Three..._

 _Two..._

 _One..._

* * *

'Marik , are you alright?'

'I...'

Marik looked up from the camera. He was trying very hard not to notice how ridiculous the scene before him was: his older brother (who had never so much as handled a Polaroid before), standing at the back of high tech computer equipment he had no idea how to use. Things they'd had to be walked through step by step by Rebecca. His sister stood adjusting a light before his face. He felt like a child must as his parents prepared him for Picture Day. Straightening his hair, his collar...

'Sure I just... heh... I'm not sure exactly what to do here. What exactly do I say?'

'Why brother, you already know,' Odion said. 'After all, you know the story off by heart.'

'Well... sure I do,' he had _lived_ it, after all.

'So tell it,' Isizhu said calmly. her face was as wise and knowing as it had always seemed to him. bright with knowledge he could never hope to understand. 'You have the Pharaoh's blessing... and I can't think of anyone better suited to tell the tale than you.'

* * *

 **Location: Las Vegas Police Station.**

 **Time: 12:13 pm,**

The shift of the day workers at the Las Vegas Police Station was ending just in time for the nightmare to begin for the night workers, crammed into staffrooms and laboratories and offices, confronted with the increasing rush of disturbances and attacks and general confusion filtering in from the streets.

Marianna Decker, acting Sergeant for the night department, did not like what she was seeing at all. First there had been that chaos with the virtual monsters all over America a few years ago, then the flood almost wiping out downtown New York, and now what seemed like some kind of _country wide turf war_ was in action. Cells were filled to bursting with people dragged in from the street, half of them screaming... half of them begging for _something_ , she wasn't sure what, with strange, white tears in their eyes.

Decker was too acclimatized to the bizarre by now to dismiss these things as a simple turf war, but it wasn't until the final was filled with a screaming woman, eyes wide and bugging from her face, mouth open in a constant wail, hair torn from her head, that she honestly began to worry. Began to think about taking extra precautions, calling in back up from the other shifts. It didn't help that half of her staff seemed distracted, confused or were absent altogether, and those who were focussed enough to do their job were being endlessly held back and sidetracked by the people who weren't. Just a few minutes ago she'd had to send her second in command home, because the poor man had been sitting in the corner shaking himself into uselessness. He'd never made it. Right now he was sitting in the corridor outside her office sobbing, ignoring every attempt from co workers and on site Doctors to tell get him to tell them what was wrong. And the longer they spoke to him, the more they seemed like they wanted to tear out their hair themselves.

Madness. The whole thing. Absolute madness. So when a report came in about the Luxor on the main strip being consumed in fire and people were filling the streets with a tide of violence and confusion, Decker wasn't so much surprised as painfully resigned. The world, it seemed, was coming down around her ears, and there was no sign of an encroaching morning to scare away the shadows.

Maybe there never would be again.

These were silly thoughts, of course, Decker told herself firmly. Silly and unrealistic. The world would still be here tomorrow. The world always _was_ still there tomorrow, no matter what she saw on the streets the night before. No matter how many ugly examples of human contempt and cruelty she had to put up with, she could still go home in the morning to her family. These were the things that Sergeant Decker clung to as the world went to hell all around her.

Wrapped up in the chaos around her, in the crying children huddled on benches in the waiting room and the desperate requests for aid from her staff, it took Decker a few moments to notice that somebody had switched on the television which she had explicitly asked to be turned off, since the news reports weren't getting through anyway and the black and white glare of the screen had been hurting her eyes.

Now the eyes of half the people in the waiting room were fixed on that screen, trying to bite down their fear long enough for them to make out what was happening.

But there is no black and white static now. Instead, Decker was staring at an actual transmitted image. The footage was of a large white room, and a nervous looking figure sitting uneasily in the middle of an out of focus screen.

' _H...hello there? Can you hear me?'_

* * *

 **Location: The Turtle Game Store.**

 **Time: 11:35 am**

Grandpa had done exactly as Miss Wheeler advised him to do as soon as she got off the phone with him: he'd locked the door. It was just as well he had, because from the looks of it, the streets of Domino were beginning to riot.

It had happened so quickly. Like a dam bursting and releasing a tide of darkness all across the world. The tension had been simmering all day; in fact, now that Solomon thought about it, it had been simmering for much _longer_ than that. Over a week, at least. There had been a strange, tickling sensation in the air; the feeling of something being just not quite _right_. And now, Solomon could feel it tugging at his heart and aching in his chest. Like drowning in sand... He tried to shake such thoughts from his head as nonsense by shuffling the deck of cards in his hand, trying to guess the identity of each card before it appeared.

People were always the same, Solomon thought to himself sadly. For every one of them with the nerve and courage to hold together, for every Joey Wheeler or Téa Gardner or Mai Valentine, there were another ten who insisted on going crazy; and those ten rubbed off on everyone around them until a few anxious frowns became a worried chorus, and a worried chorus became a tide of panic as thousands took their frustrated confusion to the streets. It would be almost impossible to tell how much of what was going on outside was genuinely an effect of the Shadow Realms influence, and how much of it was just people panicking.

Serenity had called him again a few moments ago, and when Solomon placed the phone down, his hand had tingled with dark energy. It was Yugi, Solomon guessed in the end, or something to do with the fact that they had all had such exposure to Shadow Magic previously. That could be the only reason none of them had gone as crazy as the rest of the world seemed to be going. He had no idea how long it would take for the influx of Shadow Magic to get to him too, but he planned to be right here when it happened, waiting for his Grandson until his last breath.

Yes, old age was definitely making him fatalistic.

He didn't know that the same thing was happening thousands of miles away on the streets of New York, or in the suburbs of Australia, or in the dunes of Cairo. He didn't know that a nervous Australian named Valon had talked his way into the Australian Canberra broadcasting department and was proceeding to convince them to open up on certain frequencies using nothing more than his charm and a few convincing words from the head of Kaiba Corporation.

He didn't know of the massive merger of power and technology taking place amongst the three dominating games companies in the world. He didn't know that a terrified teenage girl in Nevada was struggling to bring all of those insane factors together in her little trailer, and praying she didn't inadvertently instigate nuclear war in the process. He didn't know that every machine in the world was currently being filtered through layers upon layers of shadow magic, operating according to strange, dark rules that humanity knew deep down in their souls could never be ignored.

In fact, until his television flickered unexpectedly to life without him so much as touching it, Solomon knew almost nothing at all about what was going on out there. He knew only that things were about to go very horrifically pear shaped, and that his grandsons (their friends bless them, because there was no way the gods would) were right in the middle of it.

And then he turned to see the television, staring in surprise as a picture flickered into white life amidst the shadows.

' _H...hello there? Can you all hear me?'_

Solomon Mutou stared at the screen in alarm for a long moment before he started smiling.


	19. Chapter Eighteen - The Shadows

**Chapter 18 - The Story of the Shadows**

* * *

'H...hello there? Can you all hear me?

...

'Right... well, I guess I'm going to have to assume that you can... Sorry, I've never done this before. Technology is _not_ my strong point. Trust me we... don't get a very good wifi signal where I live. Underground, you know. Heh...

'Anyway. My... name is Marik Ishtar. My family has a history going back millennia, in fact. Our birthline originated in Egypt, some say before the pyramids were even built. And the thing happening to the world, right now? All that smoke and darkness and fear? We knew _all_ about it, long before this day ever came.

'I know this might sound like the ramblings of a mad man, but... I'm not sure there's any other way I can make it sound. Whoever you are, wherever you are in the world, however frightened or oblivious that you might be, you... know _something_ about what's happening. All humans do, you see. It's a memory we all have deep in our souls. Genetic, you might say. It's the memory of fear and darkness. It's called the Shadow Realm... and no matter how crazy I might sound, or how sensible and practical you think yourself to be... you _know_ that it's real.

' _All of you_ know. I don't need to explain that, anymore than I need to explain how the sun shines. It just... does. It just it.

'For generations the Ishtar line has passed down stories of the Shadow Realm. For a long time we... carried hate and fear of it in our hearts. But recently... we learned that there are _better_ ways to live. We learned that we can survive _out_ of the dark... As you _all_ have. We learned... _I_ learned, that we didn't need to fear the Shadows any longer. Because as long as there is good... as long as there are those who keep a spark alive inside their hearts... Then believe me, my friends, there _is_ a future on the other side of even this.

' So... I'd like you to all just... take a deep breath and listen to me. I have a story I want to tell you. And then, when I'm done. I want you all to do something for me in exchange... It's nothing special. And it won't be difficult. It's just a simple phrase I need you all to say for me... But I guess that before I ask you to say it, you need to understand what it means.'

* * *

At first it was difficult.

The words came to Marik haltingly, wrapped up in a thousand dark memories. memories of ancient grudges and dark pasts. Gods and ancient stone tablets and secrets carved into his back. But after a while, his sister and brother watching him with faint smiles on their faces, and the shadows crackling in the wires all around him, Marik found that telling the story came more easily.

After all, he knew it by heart.

 _ **"**_ _You see..._ _l_ _o_ _ng ago, when the pyramids were still young, Egyptian kings played games of great and terrible power_ _ **..."**_


	20. Chapter Nineteen - Story of the Pharaoh

**Chapter** **Nineteen** **\- The Story of the Pharaoh... Or Not.**

* * *

It wasn't a very long story.

Marik hadn't been certain how much time they would have so he had to cut out a fairly large part of the story. Besides the parts of it he knew best had been the parts he was present for. He told the story of the Pharaoh as quickly as he could without losing any details that might be important. The tale of a spirit long ago sealed within an ancient artefact. The boy who solved his mystery and set him free...

The darkness that had existed for the spirit before. The light that came after.

Marik had no way of knowing how many people were watching him tell his story, but it was many. Across every continent, every country. Children clutched on their mothers' laps in rundown apartments. People gathered on plastic chairs in hospitals and airports. Thousands.

Millions.

All of them listening to a story told by a tomb keeper, spanning thousands of years.

* * *

 **Location: Nevada Desert. Point Zero.**

The message was broadcasting on every available channel. On every network. On every computer screen that Rebecca Hawkins had been able to reach from her tiny trailer parked on the edge of the Nevada Desert.

And with the assistance of three mega corporations, some _very_ determined Ishtar's in a New York Film studio, and the Shadow Magic racing through every known network on the planet, she had been able to reach much further than she'd anticipated.

'Rebecca,' Grandpa murmured, holding up the tiny handheld computer he kept on the desk by his bunk. Rebecca almost laughed when she saw Marik Ishtar's face, crackling in static on the screen. 'Dear, look.'

 **"** ** _You see... lo_** _ **ng**_ _ **ago, when the pyramids were still young, Egyptian kings played games of great and terrible power. A game using the same shadows you see now. They were strong and brave, but foolish, and these Shadow Games caused a war which threatened to destroy the world..."**_

'You did it, Rebecca! It's working!' Grandpa didn't seem to understand exactly what _it_ was, but the look on his granddaughter's face was all he needed to see to know that things might finally be starting to go their way.

Rebecca almost laughed with relief. 'Yeah it is! Well, in this trailer, at least! Here's hoping the signal goes a little further than _that_ , huh?'

'It's _amazing_ , sweetheart... Um, what actually _is_ happening?'

'Uh, well...' Rebecca smiled. 'From the sounds of it... He's telling a story.'

'A... story?'

'Hey, they just told me to get Marik on TV, Grandpa, I didn't exactly have time to ask for a lot of details.'

'And... this required hacking the UN?'

'Only for bits of it. Honestly, the _real_ tricky part was getting into Industrial Illusions,' Rebecca frowned at her computer. 'Those guys' security is _ridiculous_.'

 _ **"...Until a brave young Pharaoh put a stop to it. You know of them, don't you? The old kings of ancient Egypt... I mean, you probably didn't learn in your history classes about**_ **this** _ **one in particular... and certainly not of the magic that accompanied him. But he existed. He sealed the dark magic away within the seven Millennium Items. And this... what you are all seeing now, outside... this was**_ **never** _ **meant to happen ever again."**_

Rebecca looked back to her computers. it was difficult to recognize what was happening, even on familiar screens. All of them were glowing purple, with a strange energy that prickled whenever her fingers touched the keyboard. She kept typing though. She had to keep watch... to make sure nothing went wrong.

Her grandfather, meanwhile, was staring at the small screen in his hands with wonder on his face; nodding slightly whenever Marik made some comment about Egyptian Monster Duels... Frowning when he mentioned the darkness that awaited them all if the coming disaster was not averted. Rebecca was filled with a fierce protectiveness. The kind that made her understand why her mother insisted on hugging her senseless every time she returned home from one tournament or another...

'Don't get too excited yet, Grandpa,' she said quietly. 'That was just part one of this process... now we have to get the messages Marik's gathering back to Yugi..'

Grandfather looked up from his screen, frowning. 'I'm... afraid I don't understand what you mean.'

'I know... just... think of this as being like... a reverse call charge,' Rebecca couldn't help but smirk knowingly in her grandfather's direction, knowing how much her mother hated when they did that.

Grandpa glanced uncomfortably at her computers. 'I do hope that isn't a bill _we'll_ have to pay.'

Rebecca smiled. 'Nope, heh. This one's _all_ gonna be on the Pharaoh's shoulders.'

 _ **"They say that the one who solves the Millennium Puzzle will be infused with ancient magic, for destiny has chosen them to defend the world from the return of the Shadow Games, just as the brave Pharaoh did, those many years ago..."**_

Rebecca had known how to access a computer hard drive before she was old enough to take off her training wheels. But this was something new entirely. _'Except... No_ ,' she thought to herself. _'It's_ not _something new... It's something old... this is_ magic _. It was around long before anybody even came up with a hard drive... when this magic came into being, carved stone tablets were the recording software of choice'_.

Rebecca had no magic to speak of. And all she had here was technology.

Well, that had always been good enough before.

Once more Rebecca got to work, plugging her phone once again into the computer, watching her screen light up with dark energy. The first stage of their plan was working. Now she had to make sure they followed through the rest of the way.

 _ **'But that was then, my friends.'**_ Marik's voice went on **.** _ **"And this is now. A future three thousand years in the making...**_

 _ **Now, there is a boy..."**_

* * *

The more he spoke the easier Marik found to tell his story. Even the more... unsavoury parts of it.

He didn't quite know how to explain some moments (how exactly was he supposed to convince a world full of people -all of whom were probably already highly sceptical about this- that the spirit of an ancient being had returned to inhabit the body of a teenager. in a country miles from his place of origin? How did you make people comprehend the link between a card game played by children the world over and ancient forces? How did you explain to people what happened to your _father_ without incriminating yourself?)

You didn't, Marik supposed. You just made it into a story for them and hoped they could digest it that way. People could handle a lot, if you started it with "Once upon a Time..." or some variant thereof.

He did his spoke of Battle City. Of the Pharaoh's continued impact on a world that had long since forgotten his name. He spoke of the Shadows that had followed him from the cradle, and would probably continue to do so until the grave. He spoke of the ceremonial chamber, of the duel that had taken place, of the afterlife that awaited all who dwell in the land of the living.

He spoke of Yugi Muto, who solved the Millennium Puzzle, bringing this story to a close.

* * *

 **Kaiba Corporation Main Headquarters, Domino City, Japan.**

Either Yami Bakura was using dark magic to freeze the Kaiba Corp security guards in place, Duke thought, or they were just too shocked by everything that was happening to remember they still had guns and the ability to use them.

He honestly couldn't blame them, either way.

'Well will you look at that,' he mumbled, his gaze fixed on the panel of screens before them. All of which now showed the face of Marik Ishtar, broadcasting from, apparently, somewhere on the other side of the planet, like the world's most bizarre news reporter.

He wasn't being very professional about it either, Duke thought. They hadn't even switched on all of the overhead lamps, nobody had the right make up, and the screen still showed the framing visuals for a news broadcast that the channel must have been airing hours earlier in the day. According to that, Marik _should_ have been talking about Arbour Day Parade Floats.

 _ **"It was never to happen. But after five thousand years... it did. And we no longer have a pharaoh to do what must be done. What remains of him... is this: We have the one who solved his mysteries with us in the world today...'**_

Yami Bakura had spun the chair away from the computers and was lounging backwards with his eyes closed, face set in a frown quite different from his earlier, self confident amusement. Duke wondered what he was thinking.

 _ **"I can't tell you his name. It's important that stays unknown, at least on this scale. Some of you have them too, I'm sure. Secret names that only your dearest know. In ancient times they were given to children in order to keep them safe. People couldn't curse them. Not without knowing what their name**_ **really** _ **was. But some names... some names have more power than the curses themselves**_. _**As you can probably imagine... his is one of them**_." Marik was saying.

'The hell is going on?' of the security guards mumbled. They had all lowered their guns by now. One of them had pulled out a pocket phone -one of the modern ones with a large screen- and there, once again was Marik's face. He seemed to have taken over every screen in the

building.

 _ **"He can bring this all to an end in light... But as you have all probably figured out, nobody can do this kind of thing alone. And right now...well... he needs all the help we can give him."**_

'You can say _that_ again,' Bakura snorted. 'And by the way, you're _welcome_.'

Duke opened his mouth to complain, bur Serenity beat him to it.

'Oh do shut up, Yami Bakura,' she snapped. 'We're very grateful for you for getting this started but I think it's pretty clear right now that there are more powerful things at play than you.'

Duke blinked at her in surprise. A couple of guards shuffled, the way Duke imagined they did whenever Kaiba reprimanded them. Even Yami Bakura stopped spinning his chair and opened one eye to faze at Serenity in annoyance and... perhaps just a little admiration. Duke couldn't help but smirk a little. She really _was_ Joey Wheeler's sister after all...

 _ **"Right now he's there. He and his companions still live, in the middle of this disaster. They're waiting for a miracle."**_ Marik paused to take a deep breath. _**"So we'll give them one. The Vessel of the Pharaoh. The master of the Millennium Puzzle, and the powers it contained... There is a name given to a person like that. For someone who can solve mysteries that fate itself has deemed impossible.**_

 _ **"That's the name I need you all to speak. And when you do, I need you to**_ **trust** _ **me. To trust that what is happening to the world right now can still be undone..."**_

* * *

 **Vienna International Airport, the "Travelling Man Arcade".**

He had done his best with what he had available, but Mokuba knew he simply didn't have the strength to move a grown human body. So he was forced to leave Marcus where he fell within the arcade, after straightening his arms and legs and -for reasons Mokuba couldn't explain even to himself- returning the sunglasses the man was almost never seen without to his face.

The arcade had quietened after a while, machines shutting down or going into standby, but the lights in the arcade remained flashing. Just as well, Mokuba thought. Hopefully they'd keep those... creatures away for a little while longer.

He wondered if they would still be drawn to Marcus even now. If they'd try to attack him even in death, destroy whatever remained of the light in his body and... no. Mokuba couldn't stand that. He'd find a sheet or something to cover him. Something dignified.

The least Marcus deserved after all this was dignity.

'I'm sorry...' it was perhaps the most useless thing Mokuba could've said, with nobody to hear it. He said it anyway. He knew he'd be saying it over and over once -if- they got back to Domino. To friends and family and...

Did Marcus even _have_ a family? Did he have children back home? Mokuba swallowed the bile in his throat when he thought this. At least with the pilot he'd had an excuse but Marcus had worked for Kaiba Corporation for _years_ now... and had been Mokuba's bodyguard almost every time that Isono wasn't available.

And Mokuba hadn't even _known._

He had been searching for a sheet when the television over the ticket booth flickered into life... Showing the face of one Marik Ishtar.

 _ **"**_ ** _You see..._** ** _lo_** _ **ng ago, when the pyramids were still young, Egyptian kings played games of great and terrible power..."**_

Mokuba stopped, frozen. And there he stood throughout Marik's story. Listening to things he knew, and things he hadn't heard. Listening as Marik gave the world Yami's message.

And in spite of the pain in his gut and the fear crawling in tattered ribbons up his spine, Mokuba found himself smiling. 'Oh you've got to be _kidding_ , Yami. Seto's gonna _lose_ it.'

* * *

 **Location: The Danube River, Shadow Realm Nexus Point.**

Seto Kaiba did, in fact, lose it.

'You gave... Marik Ishtar... **_what_**?'

Joey hadn't thought it was possible for Kaiba to look even more annoyed with how things were proceeding, but the guy always had a way of surprising them.

'It's not like he didn't already know, Kaiba,' Yugi sighed.

It felt like hours had passed. Yami had sat them all down at the edge of the pyramid of darkness, explaining quietly what was happening. Explaining the messages Bakura had sent to his other half. The phone call from Rebecca, distressed and angry which had somehow gotten through this. Joey wasn't sure what exactly it all meant, but this technology and Shadow Magic merging business all sounded seriously sketchy to him. Anyway the discussion had involved Kaiba doing a lot of yelling and Yugi doing a lot of desperate mediating and honestly, Joey didn't have the faintest clue what was going on beyond " _Yami has a plan_ " and " _Kaiba really doesn't like the aforementioned plan_."

Which meant everything was proceeding as it normally did, really.

'Did three thousand years inside a golden puzzle rot the inside of your _mind_ , pharaoh? You gave your T _rue Name_ to a man who's now going to broadcast it-'

'Kaiba-'

'Over an entire worldwide network made, by the way, by abusing _my company's technology-'_

'Kaiba, will you-'

'I gave you access to areas of **important Kaiba Corporation data** , Yami! You had better have a damn good explanation for why you think a good use of that is _blowing up half the planet with your namesake_.'

'You misunderstand, Kaiba,' Yami interrupted. And then he stood, raising to his feet with all the elegance of a gazelle. 'I never said I told Marik to give them _my_ name.'

Kaiba paused. 'You never _said_...'

'You never gave him a _chance_ , Kaiba,' Yugi muttered. 'He mentioned Marik Ishtar and the power of names and you leapt aboard on your own personal thought train!'

Kaiba scowled. 'It's not like either of you ever bother to communicate clearly with anyone but each _other_. What other conclusion could I have reached?' He seemed to calm, but was staring at Yami with the same deep, intense frustration as always. Yami, for his part, gazed back with the same calm firmness that Joey _knew_ drove Seto Kaiba mad.

It would've been entertaining if not, you know. For the end of the world currently hovering a few feet off to their left.

'So... wait,' Téa said, slowly. 'Yami... you used Yami Bakura and the rest of the Phone Tree, to... send Marik a message.'

'Correct, Téa.'

'And he's... spreading that message around the world by... by somehow using the Shadow Magic to... I don't know. Communicate with _everyone_? Everyone all over the world?'

'Well not just Shadow Magic, I must admit, having access to several worldwide technological networks certainly helped our case,' Yami shrugged. 'Thanks to Kaiba's Crystal Cloud Network, and some of our other... acquaintances.'

Kaiba grunted.

'And that message... included a name,' Téa said. 'An important name. A _powerful_ name. But not _your_ name.'

'Yes.'

'Then... who's name was it?' Tristan frowned. 'Dude, nobody's name but _yours_ has that kind of power...'

'Debatable. And _my_ name draws on the darkness itself,' Yami said. 'I don't think it would help us much, in the face of... _that_.' He gestured to the dark pyramid. It seemed to be bigger every time Joey looked at it. Probably because it was. He could feel Darkness crawling, like a bad chill.

Joey realised about then that Yugi had ducked his head down and was avoiding any of their gazes.

Joey frowned. It... couldn't be. Could it? 'Yugi...' he started to say.

The air was filled with the sound of "Flight of the Bumblebee."

Everyone looked down at once as Yugi scrambled in his pocket. Something had changed when that tune caught the air. Joey felt it - a familiar warmth spreading across the back of his hand, heading upwards into his heart.

Yugi's phone was ringing. He dragged it from his pocket - a too old screen with a missing button and a purple phone case... The sound seemed to echo all around them, louder than it could possibly have really been. The phone in Yugi's hand wasn't on vibrate. It was just _shaking_. Joey could feel the air around them heat up, itching as it dried the sweat on his skin.

* * *

 **Call Incoming**

 **from:**

 **[UNKNOWN ^$^ &£&^"*&*$&(%&^&$^ERROR&^^%^&U$]**

* * *

'Yami,' Kaiba said, sharply. _'Which_ name did you give to Marik?'

'Technically, we didn't give him a _name_ ,' Yami said. He and Yugi _looked_ at one other, and it seemed to Joey as if a thousand words passed between them in the glance. 'We gave him a _Title_.'

Yugi swallowed. 'Other Me...'

'Do it,' Yami said.

Yugi turned towards the Pyramid, held the phone outwards away from them, squeezed his eyes shut, and pressed the 'answer call' button.

He spoke a word aloud.

 _' **YugiOh**.'_

The world exploded with light.


	21. Chapter Twenty - King of Games

**Chapter 20 - King of Games**

* * *

 _ **Yu**_

 _ **Gi**_

 _ **Oh.**_

It started in Japan.

The shadows had no spoken language: they carved words into whatever shape Marik needed, which was just as well. But here was where the words were strongest. Here was where the signal began.

Thirteen year old Satõ Hana, stuck with her older siblings in the waiting lounge hoping for a non-cancelled flight back to Hokkaido, was one of the first to look up when the air changed: when some instinct she didn't know she still had forced her eyes upwards. Domino Airport had fallen quieter that an airport had a right to be. Partly out of confusion, Hana assumed, seeing as she was _fairly_ sure the flight arrivals and departures boards were _not_ intended to be replaced by footage of odd looking young men, speaking just slightly out of sync with the words on screen. As if they were speaking via a translator.

Hana had no idea what Battle City was. She didn't care much for history and she certainly didn't believe in magic or monsters from a Realm of Shadows. Or at least... she _hadn't_. All she knew was that her siblings were afraid, and the rest of their family was unreachable and she was old enough to know that things were _not right_ in a way the adults were refusing to explain to her.

So when the man on the screen, Marik Ishtar, made his request, with nothing but desperate honestly in his eyes, Hana was one of the first to answer.

'King of Games,' Hana whispered under her breath, then speaking louder as she looked around and drew confidence from those sitting around her, slowly beginning to mouth the same thing. 'Help us, if you can. _YuGiOh_.'

* * *

 **Kansas Visitor's Centre,**

 **Route 66**

Jessica Prescott had worked in tourist information at the Visitors Centre for seven years come August, and at this point, she was pretty fed up of tourists making the Jokes.

You know. The ones about _Tornadoes._

Because honestly? Tornadoes were the _least funny thing imaginable_ for those who had to experience them. She breathed a sigh of relief whenever a tourist she was chatting to turned out to be from Oklahoma, or Denver, or basically _anywhere_ that experienced the same thing as she did, and thus had more sense than to make light of it.

 _Really_ didn't help that their work uniform included a light blue chequerboard pattern. Seriously, what had the management team been thinking?

Not that she minded much when people around _here_ did it because people from around here _understood_... Yet these days, whenever one happened, she almost considered it a relief. Nothing like telling a bunch of tourists who thought they were being funny that "yes, sir, this _is_ a threat we face on a semi-regular basis and _no_ there is absolutely no possibility of being dropped off at the start of the Yellow Brick road. Yes it's possible we might die but we do have contingencies in place and that very rarely happens.

" _ **Yes it is**_ _**really scary**_ _isn't it, sir? Maybe you'll_ _ **remember that**_ _the next time you feel like calling one of us Dorothy!? Asshole..."_

Right now though.. Well. Right now.

In her defence, the Tornadoes were not _usually_ purple. Nor did they hang across the entire landscape, with fingers of heavy, almost black clouds reaching down to touch the rolling hills and through the woodlands all around. And they never filled her with such a f dread... Well alright, they did fill her with dread but not like _this_. Not the cold, blunt sensation that something had flicked a switch in her spine labelled "primordial terror red alert!"

Many passing cars had stalled on the motorway to watch the chaos, or to run for the safety of the Centre.

The more she had looked, the more Jessica felt this was _not_ any tornado. Things had been strange all morning, but not in the way she was accustomed to. The usual warning systems hadn't alerted them of any extreme weather, nobody had gotten back to them from head office when Matt called in. So the group of uneasy tourists, travellers, and employees had stayed where they were -because you did _not_ go running outside if there was the possibility of a Tornado- milling around in the Centre looking worriedly out of the windows.

And then the man in white appeared on the information screen.

 _ **'**_ _ **H...hello there? Can you all hear me?"**_

She had looked at Matt expectantly, watching him gesturing in confusion for a few moments: he didn't know _why_ that boy had suddenly popped up on all the information screens.

No, he was _not_ in control of their computer right now. So whatever was happening, whoever was on the screen, he was really all anyone had to listen to right now. So everyone did. Matt scrabbled to turn up the volume on the ancient old analogue television that wasn't even connected to their computer, or the internet.

And they listened.

 ** _'You see..._** ** _lo_** _ **ng ago, when the pyramids were still young, Egyptian kings played games of great and terrible power...'**_

Fifteen minutes later, Jessica remembered reading the very story that their state was so famous for with her father. His warm familiarity and the sense of comfort as he read to her, the way he always had at night, until she fell asleep halfway through a chapter.

 _Click your silver heels three times, say the words, and you'll be safe at home before you know it._

Could it _really_ be that easy?

Surely it was worth a try.

"Alright then..' she whispered. 'Alright... YuGiOh. I'll say it. _Yu-Gi-Oh_.'

* * *

 **Las Vegas Police Station.**

Sergeant Marianna Decker had been present for more than her fair share of dark events. She had arrested murderers and traffickers on the strip. She had witnessed violent attacks and strange events that she still couldn't explain after twenty years in the force. But nothing would compare to this moment.

With her officers in chaos, her cells full, and the city falling apart around her ears, Decker pulled her eyes away from the man on the television that suddenly everyone was interested in watching. Well, everyone who was still enough in control of themselves to do so, anyway.

She leaned back against her office door, took a deep breath, locked eyes with her second in command where he sat, still curled up in reception. She saw his face tweak into the almost smile she remembered him having for her every morning, no matter what they had seen the night before. He was mouthing the words under his breath, and without even meaning to, Marianna found herself joining in.

 _'Yu-Gi-Oh._ '

* * *

 **Aswan, South Egypt.**

They had no television of their own, but the kind man in the general store had opened his doors to basically _everyone_ when this whole mess started. The store was serving as impromptu meeting place for every person you could imagine - young and old alike. There were more than two dozen of them crammed in together, while his wife handed out drinks and tried to calm their fraying nerves.

Everyone had their eyes fixed on the television; on the face of the Egyptian boy before them.

 _ **"He saved me once. He saved my sister. And right now he is there. He and his companions still live, in the middle of this chaos. They're standing there. Waiting for us to offer them a miracle... So we'll give them one."**_

Diva stood amongst them, with Sera's hand clutched in his. He could _feel_ the magic creeping around them in a way that most people were only dimly aware of. What was to them the vaguest tweak of primal fear was, to him, an anxiety attack in the making. He took deep breaths to keep himself calm, and tried not to think about cubes splitting the air apart and purple fire burning at his skin.

That had been then. This was _now_.

 _ **"That's the name I need you all to speak now. And when you do, I need you to trust me. To trust that what is happening can still be reversed..."**_

A small hand clutched his. 'Diva?'

Sera's eyes held questions she couldn't ask aloud. Not without them getting a dozen confused, awkward looks from the people crowded around them. So Diva shook his head gently and didn't answer. He wrapped an arm around the young girl's shoulders, shielding her, though from what, he wasn't sure. 'It's alright, Sera. It'll all be alright.'

When everyone else started whispering, he didn't join in for fear that it might actually _do_ something _here_ instead of... wherever the Pharaoh clearly _wanted_ it to happen. But he mouthed the word silently all the same.

* * *

 _ **'Yu-Gi-Oh.'**_

As was so often the case with these things, the children were the first to catch on.

They were the first to figure out the truth, too. Crouched in their living rooms, or the corner booths of food courts, or curled up under blankets watching the face on their television screens with awe and fear combined. Those gathered in their school dining halls awaiting anxious parents.

They sat there, piecing together the story they heard over handfuls of duel monster cards and booster packs. A lot of them knew all about Battle City. A lot of them clutched favoured cards to their hearts and hoped for all they were worth. A lot of them knew the true name of the person they were calling on for help.

You didn't have to tell children what was important and what wasn't. They just _knew_.

 _ **"Yu-Gi-Oh..."**_

It was just three words. Three Kanji, spoken by tongues that didn't all know the correct words. Sent around the world in a single clear voice.

 _ **Yu-Gi-Oh.**_

 _King of Games._

Just three syllables was all it took, spoken into shadows, looped back through the very darkness that was trying to consume them. Three syllabes spoken in a hundred thousand tongues or more.

 _ **Yu-Gi-Oh.**_

The Shadows responded as they always did to the light: they _backed off_ ; but something about the force of that name clung to them. It spread through computer networks running on Shadow Power, through wires and radio signals and just about anything a human could use to send a message without writing it down. There was no language barrier now. Just the force of the meaning, charging through the Crystal Cloud network. Like a virus, infecting the whole world at once. Or rather, like an _antivirus_ , tracking down the source of all that pain. Seeking it out to destroy it.

 _ **Yu-Gi-Oh.**_

And when the power came together, it did so in a campervan parked on the outskirts of Nevada, and Rebecca Hawkins, whispering a name to herself over and over as she did, pushed the CALL button on her phone, and put the message through to its intended recipient.

* * *

 **Now**

 **Calling**

 **[Yugi xxx]**

* * *

The world exploded in light at the other end of the telephone, but no actual sound came out. Just light. Light as bright as a rising sun in the desert.


	22. Chapter Twenty One - Into the Dark

**Chapter Twenty One - Into the Dark**

* * *

Yugi's fingers were burning.

He tried not to think about how that sensation was familiar. He felt as light as he had in that moment, though; with the weight of the puzzle gone from his neck, and Joey's bruising grip on his shoulders. The heat on his face, the harsh ache in his lungs... If he closed his eyes, Yugi could almost see the fire.

But this was _nothing_ like the fire at all. And the hand on his shoulder was Yami's, not Joey's. Joey was _there_ though, several steps away, now gawking at the light from behind his raised hands. If any of the creatures had been hanging around, then now they scattered, screaming in panic, as the brightest light there had ever been burst from the object in the palm of Yugi's hand before reaching out and wrapping around him, enveloping him like water.

Liquid light.

The veins in his hands were bright, Yugi realised -strings of burning fluorescence spread all the way up and down his arms. There was no pain - just a subtle warmth that pulsed in time with his heartbeat. Judging from the look on their faces when he turned to look at his friends, that light was not restricted to his hands. Yugi could feel it burning in his cheeks too. His eyes. Téa was smiling through tears. Joey and Mai were basically just gawking. Tristan and Bakura were almost laughing, and Yami...

Yami was gazing at him with something close to awe.

'...Holy hell. Yugi. **What.** ' Joey deadpanned.

'Okay!' Tristan was laughing - half in fear, Yugi thought. 'Who the heck is your mobile provider?'

'Um... the cheapest one possible?' Yugi looked at Yami who had shifted from shocked awe to amused surprise. 'You got an explanation for this, Other Me?'

'You gave them _Yugi's_ name?' Kaiba's voice said.

'Like I said. Not his name. His _title_. A title with more sway in the Shadow Realm than perhaps even my own,' Yami said. 'This is what the opposite force of the Shadows looks like, Kaiba. This is the light that Yugi, and people like him, represent. It's rare, and it's... muted. There's so much darkness in the world already. But it still has sway even in the deepest shadows. It _always_ will, because the shadows can't exist without it.' _Some more than others_ , he added. That part, Yugi was pretty sure he didn't say aloud.

'The deeper the darkness, the brighter the light,' Téa murmured.

Yami gave her a fond smile. 'Precisely,' he said. 'All we had to do was... give it a push. The Crystal Cloud network you created is more powerful than you realise, Kaiba. We were able to use it against the very Shadows that are enveloping the planet.'

'You don't have to tell me what I realise,' Kaiba muttered. But there was less of a stab in his voice than usual. Of course, he knew _exactly_ what the Crystal Cloud network was capable of... it was a technology unlike anything the world had ever created... And yet, Yugi thought, he had _allowed_ them to use it now. Had let their friends expose it's power to rivals like Schrodinger Corp, to supposed allies like I2... That was Kaiba's life and business, tied up in a technology nobody else in the world has ever mastered... There was no way one of those rivals wouldn't take advantage of that. There was no _way_ that at least Schrodinger's Corp _wasn't_ currently making records of the secrets they saw.

Kaiba had effectively given those secrets away.

Yugi couldn't begin to imagine the courage that had taken.

'So... Okay. This is my... light?' he said, waving his hand a little, seeing the afterglow, like you'd see following a lit sparkler. '...Seriously?'

'This is what the Shadows see, yes... You, and everything that light has touched,' Yami smiled, gesturing to their friends.

And he was right. At some point, Téa had lifted her own hand to her face and was now gawking at the line of light standing out against the back of her hand. It was the familiar curve of half a mouth. The same half curve was reversed on Tristan's own hand, a dot of brightness glowing on Joey's... Yugi wasn't sure if it was fitting or ridiculous that the light in them showed through as a _smilie face_ on the back of their hands.

'Damn, Téa,' Joey chuckled. 'Ya couldn't have drawn somethin' a little bit more... I dunno, dramatic? Meaningful? Not-Dorky-As-All-Get-Out?'

'Oh shut _up_ , Joey, it's too late to complain now, it was ten years ago!'

'Besides, you think _you've_ got it bad?' Mai smirked. 'Yugi here is lit up like a Christmas tree.'

Joey snorted. 'Oh my god, Yug', you've even got a star on top!'

'Joey!' Yugi almost laughed. But he chose that moment to look over at Kaiba and...

...And Kaiba's _eyes_.

Yugi had thought it was just a reflection, at first but... no. There wasn't any blue. The firm, cold face was shimmering slightly; a golden glow, faint, but present in Kaiba's eyes. Kaiba looked away then, as if realising what was happening and pushing it away, but it was too late to hide what Yugi had seen.

 _Like I said_ , Yami thought in Yugi's direction. _You... and everything your light has touched._

Except... Yugi wasn't sure that light had come from _him_ at all. He remembered memory world. The light of the dragons. The shape of Kaiba disintegrating into purple fog as he effectively took a bullet to save Yugi's life. _No. Not this light. It was always there, wasn't it...?_

Yugi turned to the dark Pyramid. 'What do I do?'

'What you always do, I suppose,' Kaiba snorted, although he still pointedly refused to meet Yugi's gaze. 'Break the rules of physics and save the goddamn world.'

'No physics here.' Yami murmured. 'Just good old fashioned magic from the age of ancient kings. Do the honours, Yugi. I think you know the power used to cross water.'

It took Yugi a moment to realise what Yami meant.

Then he grinned, turned to the Danube river and with one sharp breath, vaulted clear over the edge.

* * *

Marik knew the message had stopped broadcasting. Something to do with the fact the entire room had shorted out, plunging them all into blackness. The air around them tasted of smoke and sulphur and Marik's very bones felt _hollow_. There was a long silence while the siblings waited for the emergency lights of the building to kick in - thin red light coming down from the ceiling.

'Well,' Odion said into the silence. 'I suppose that's it, then.'

'That's it,' Marik nodded. 'Sister how long do you think it'll last...?'

We have no way of knowing,' Ishizu said. She had slumped into a nearby chair. 'Hopefully... long enough.'

'Oh... Not entirely reassuring.'

He hadn't realised he was falling until his siblings were there, grabbing him by the shirt and shoulders, supporting his descent.

'Master!'

'Don't, Odion... I... s-sorry just...' he laughed, a bubbling sound that was almost a sob. The words of his own story were still ringing in his ears. Had they really listened? Did the world know what they had to do now to save themselves? 'I... just can't believe we actually managed to do that.'

'I'm surprised myself.'

'I had no idea what I was doing, brother! It didn't even make sense!'

'Not by the laws of reality, Odion smirked. 'But I feel that the Pharaoh's Vessel has never cared much for those limitations.'

'Yeah about that,' Marik looked at his sister. _'YuGiOh_ , sister? The King of Games...?'

Ishizu smiled. 'Well, it seemed a suitably powerful alternative. Asking them to speak the true name of the _Pharaoh_ would have probably destroyed every computer network it passed through and potential set the course of human technology back about a hundred years.'

'Right... aaand using this name instead?'

'Will probably only set it back about five.'

Marik snorted. 'Well _we_ seem to manage just fine without all that nonsense.'

Odion raised an eyebrow. 'So says the man who owns a fifty horsepower engine motorcycle.'

'That 's practical!'

 _'And_ who just projected his message across the entire planet via the very shadow darkness attempting to consume us?' Ishizu added. Her voice came out lighter than her expression looked.

She was still worried, of course. This was far from over.

So far as Marik could see nothing around them had changed. He supposed it was silly to expect otherwise. They were far from the epicentre. And yet... _something_ had led them here. Ishizu's intuition, or magical premonition, or whatever... Marik hardly felt that it mattered. What mattered was that it had gotten them here - via a twisting, indecisive route - to the very place where they were needed.

He sighed. 'You know, it's almost a shame we diverted from England, I was rather looking forward to seeing that Stonehenge.'

'Should Europe _survive_ this incident, brother, then I promise I'll take you both to see it.'

'You will, huh?'

'Yes. Well... as soon as we have actual official documents so you don't have to sneak us through with the millennium rod again.'

* * *

Yugi had expected to land in writhing water, right up until the moment when his feet hit the bottom of the river bed with a loud _squelch._ Yami landed besides him a second later, with all the grace of a cat and, Yugi couldn't help but notice, not much of a squelch either.

He looked up, catching his breath. The water had created a wall around them: a writing, slashing boundary of liquid, still thrashing and spreading as it powered away from Yugi's presence. The bed of the Danube river was slimy beneath their feet, scattered with trash and discarded flotsam... But the water had vanished entirely around the place where Yugi stood.

 _'Very_ nice,' Yami sounded impressed. 'You're a natural, Partner.'

'Hold freakin' heck, guys!' Yugi heard Tristan yelling over the bars. 'Can you _not_?'

'Oh,' Téa said, in an understanding voice. _'That's_ the story he meant. The one about parting the flood!'

'Ohh yeah, that's from Egypt too, right?

'I think she's thinking of Moses, Hun.'

'Yeeeah, which was _set_ in ancient Egypt! Well, going _out_ of it, I don't think it was actually _all_ about Egypt... What? Why're you lookin' so surprised, Mai, I _do_ read sometimes, ya know!'

Yugi smiled, and turned to face the dark water. Feeling self conscious, he held out his hand before him. The light burst and split the water in two, cutting through the darkness of the shadows. It wasn't the _water_ parting, he realised. Not really. It was the _Shadows_. They had infiltrated the water so thoroughly... amalgamated with it, to create a strange, dark liquid that wrapped around and swallowed everything it touched.

Everything except the light.

There was a smashing, crackling noise; like someone shattering a delicate porcelain glass a thousand times over. A hole was torn through the side of the Pyramid like it was nothing but paper. The path to the Pyramid was clear and through the light, Yugi could almost make out the tear itself - the rip in reality, allowing the Shadow Realm to leak through into their world. He reached out to grab Yami's hand.

'Yeah aright!' Joey was laughing like this was a duelling arena. 'Let's do this!'

'You are staying _there_ ,' Yami yelled up. 'It will kill you if the darkness falls inwards-'

And of course, Joey was now leaping down into the squelching mud of the emptied Danube.

'Then it _kills_ us,' he shrugged.

'Joey-'

'No seriously, Yami. Shut up,' Joey said. 'Look, I just got my best sneakers _totally_ wrecked for this, you better believe we're finishing what we started!'

'Those sneakers are like, eight years old, Joe, they're already-' Tristan landed with an equally squelchy thud besides him. '-Pretty much wrecked.'

Téa followed a few seconds behind, grimacing at the blackness around her feet. Then Mai... Yami was looking at them in half despair. 'This isn't _your_ duty...'

'Yeah well , _Yugi's_ going, an' we aren't letting him do this alone.'

'He won't be doing it _alone_ , I'm right _here_.'

'Yeah, well, we were here first!'

'What do you..' Yami looked confused..' I have existed for more than three thousand years.'

'Not _here_ ya haven't. What does this mean, Yami: _something you can see, but you can't see? Something that's always there, even when it isn't_?' Yami blinked at Joey in confusion. Joey offered Yugi a wink. 'Exactly. We got here first. Now you guys may have this weird half-of-each-other's-soul thing going on, but we were runnin' into hell-scapes with Yugi way before you were, man. Not stopping now.'

'Guys!' Yugi said. 'Seriously, are we actually arguing about _who gets to almost die with me?'_

'Will the lot of you please shut up and get on with this?' Kaiba snapped. He too landed in the river bed, pulling out a taser he had clearly hidden away... somewhere, and then glared at Yami as if _daring_ him to say anything.

'See?' Joey snapped. 'If _that_ jerk's goin' you sure as hell ain't stopping me, now let's _move_!'

There was a yelp behind them, and everyone turned to see Bakura had finally plucked up the nerve to leap into the river - and landed squarely on his behind.

'Yugi-' Bakura started to say.

'Bakura, you don't have to...'

'You think I don't know that?' Bakura smiled. 'We're going. Together... right?'

Yugi hesitated. The light of his own skin was reflected in Bakura's - his eyes white behind the shadows around them. His hair looked kind of like dandelion fluff. Yugi reached out his free hand to help Bakura to his feet. 'Right...'

The light burst when their hands touched - echoes of lightning clacking between them, one light blossoming against the other. Bakura looked down at his own hands - at the veins now glowing hot white in his own skin. 'Oh...' he murmured.

'Oh great, he's contagious.' Kaiba snapped.

'Move quickly,' Yami said, gripping Yugi's hand tightly in his. Yugi saw the skin begin to burn on Yami's hand, then settle. Like it knew, Yugi thought. Like it _understood_ what was happening.

They started to run as one.

He could do this. he could _control_ this. The echo of a hundred thousand peoples heartbeats, pounding alongside his own.

The question was... for how long?


	23. Chapter Twenty Two - Ghosts of the Past

**Chapter Twenty Two - Ghosts of the Past**

* * *

Running on the soggy remnants of civilisations built at the edge of the water wasn't exactly smooth and easy. Still, they moved as fast as they could across the wide mouth of the Danube River, water splitting to either side of them as they went, parting to allow the strange party passage through the blackness. He could still feel the pressure of the water around him, _pushing_ like water against a bubble. But the light held it back. The same light which had drawn away the pain of sprained limbs and concussion.

Somewhere beyond those shadows were the trashing edges of the river's mouth; somewhere further was the sea. But the tear wasn't so far out. They just had to reach the centre, Yugi thought. The point where the four edges of the dark pyramid came together to meet. The point where all of this began, and then... Then...

And then what?

He hadn't thought that far ahead.

Yugi was not the fastest of them, and already he was behind several of the others as they ran - Joey and Kaiba were already ahead, pushing against the edge of the light protecting them; Mai probably would've been too, if it weren't for her choice in footwear. Yami's hand was all but dragging Yugi along, urging him to keep up, and Yugi remembered following him into this kind of hell so many times before.

Except he had never _just_ been following, had he? He had never _just_ been anything where Yami was concerned.

It was a strange thought to give him courage, but it worked. He ran faster. fast enough that the two of them were keeping pace. Yugi could feel the shadows prickling as they glanced his skin before the light swept them away. The barrier spread before and behind him, enveloping his friends in a light that only seemed to intensify the shadows around them as they ran.

Yugi could see creatures within the water as they ran, writhing behind walls of what looked like dark, mottled glass. Like being in an aquarium. Except whoever designed this aquarium had a taste for the macabre.

He had never run so fast. Not on Alcatraz. Not in the deserts of the RPG. Not in any of the thousands of times this had happened before.

And then the first of the Shadow Monsters emerged. It _burst_ from the wall of water; the semblance of a shark, or a dolphin, made in white plasticise, twisted and torn apart and smashed together with a dozen other barely recognisable shapes. It screamed aloud, the entire group skidding to a halt as it blocked the five metres wide path before them. Yugi felt bile rise in his throat at the sight of it, a lack of air already tearing at his lungs.

'Aw, hell!' Joey yelled.

The creatures tail - jagged as a string of sharks teeth, slashed through the air, the vibrations of its movement throwing Yugi off his feet. He felt Yami's hand slip out of his as he hit the muddy ground. Yami yelled his name, but Yugi was too busy to answer - he rolled across the filthy ground, shifting desperately out of the way before the tail slammed down again and tore a thick chunk out of the river bed up. To the other side he saw Téa trip over one of the creature's many twisted, bone like limbs, Bakura hurrying to her side. Yugi saw light burst along Bakura's palm as he raised his hand - an ineffective shield between Téa and the beast before them. Bakura screamed, gripping his torn sleeve as blood began flowing immediately, but the creature had backed away, burned by the light of his body, and Téa was scrambling thankfully to her feet.

Then there was a flash of a taser to his left. Thin wires burst less than a foot away from Yugi's ear, and he felt the static crackling as the Taser struck its target. The creature screamed.

'Move!' Kaiba yelled, shoving Yugi in the back, and Yugi didn't have time to acknowledge - much less say aloud - that the the light which burst from the taser in Kaiba's hand had _come_ from the hand itself. Kaiba didn't even seem to realise what he was doing; that the light had broken out from within his veins too.

'Uh, not that I want to make it worse...' Tristan wheezed. And when Yugi looked, his heart sank further.

The creatures from the city had followed them - he could see them crawling across the riverbed and slipping out of the walls of water all around them. All of them desperate and screaming and _wanting_ the very thing that destroyed them.

Yugi hadn't known it was possible to run when your legs felt this much like unset jello. He did anyway.

And then the water besides them exploded outwards.

It was like striking a brick wall. Grimy salt water filled Yugi's mouth, choking him, and by the time he could see straight, he was gripped in a hand bigger than he was, and with about a dozen more fingers that it should have. No more of the creature emerged from the wall of water: just that huge fist, reaching through to grab Yugi and drag him inwards like a trapdoor spider with its prey. Yugi could barely imagine what the rest of it looked like -swirling as it was within the wall of liquid black. He was fairly sure he never wanted to know.

He was gripped tight enough to crush the air for his lungs and crack ribs. Yami was still hanging onto Yugi's other hand, and kicking at the creature, but it stayed within the wall of water. _They can't get to it. It knows it's safe in the river..._

The others were suddenly screaming Yugi's name as he was lifted, dragged upwards by one arm, dangling from the creature's grip like some kind of broken you. He could see Kaiba, eyes wide, teeth grit, Taser in his hand, but with no way to fire it without accidentally hitting Yugi too... And then the light of Yugi's body his it, and the water parted as the creature drew Yugi towards it's twisted face, and all Yugi could see was rows upon rows of jagged teeth, jostling for place inside a huge mouth.

They often said that your life flashed before your eyes in the moment before you died. If that was the case, Yugi thought, then his end-of-life memory was rather... selective. Because all he saw was people _smiling_ at him.

His mind was filled with their faces. Faces of children, with wide eyes as he examined their deck. His grandfather slapping him on the back as he stepped down from a duelling arena, proclaiming his grandson's genius to anyone who would listen. Joey dragging him into a headlock and laughing fit to burst a lung. Téa sneaking him a wave and a grin from her place on stage. Even Kaiba... _**"You have your bond with him, and I have mine.**_ _"_

And then there was Atem's face. The Pharaoh... smiling at him from within a golden aura as the duel arena faded all around them. _Their first reunion_...

Their first. Not their last. A new beginning, and a new end...

If it weren't for that moment, Yugi thought, if it weren't for _Kaiba's_ bond with the Pharaoh, as well as his own, Yami would not _be here_ right now. And if Yugi died now, Yami would think that _none_ of that pain had been worth it...

 _No_ , Yugi thought.

Reality returned with a rush of blood in his ears. Yugi was back in the present. His friends voices were screaming up at him, the creature drawing him towards its teeth. Yami had been forced to let go of Yugi's hand as he was dragged upwards. Which was just as well, because now, Yugi had a hand free, and, with a quiet apology to whatever or whomever the creature once was, he did something he had not done in his entire life.

He punched it in the face.

Hard.

The creature's face crumpled _inwards._ It fell back, grasping wilding for traction as it toppled into the wall of water it had escaped from. There was another trembling flash of light as what Yugi thought was Kaiba's taser shocked it in the face.

It was not Kaiba's taser. Kaiba's taser was lying in the dirt at his feet. The light had come from Bakura, standing there with trembling hands out before him.

'Dude, did you just freakin' _laser blast the thing_ in the face?!' Tristan yelled.

'Um... yes?' Bakura looked as bemused by what had just happened as Yugi was. Yugi scrambled to his feet, reaching out for Yami.

'Oh, hell,' Mai groaned. And Yugi bit his tongue to keep from copying her. The creatures came in their dozens, many of them crawling out of the walls of water around them, others scurrying like rats down from the riverbanks. Eyeless bodies and viscous ghosts that broke against the rocks. The path Yugi had cut through the water was filling with the faces of the dead.

Yugi glanced ahead... it was hard to tell how far they were from the centre of the pyramid, but certainly far enough away for some of the faster creatures to catch up.

'Alright then...' someone murmured under his breath, and Yugi turned to see Bakura standing beside him. 'Alright... how... how about we try something else?'

And before anyone could ask what on earth he meant, Bakura leaned down, gazed curiously at his own hand, and placed it, palm flat on the ground.

The light spread forward from his fingertips, splitting up from the ground, like pure white lava bursting from the earth. A shield of light extended from Bakura's hand, covering the expanse of the dry riverbed. The creature ran into it - screaming and falling apart as they struggled to continue.

before him, Joey looked at Téa, who looked at Tristan, who looked at Mai. Yugi had a brief moment of understanding how they all felt whenever he was speaking to Yami inside of their minds. It was frustrating - to see the understanding in people's eyes that you couldn't share.

'Okay...' Joey muttered. 'Okay, I think 'Kura's got the right idea here. Yugi go!'

'What...?'

'You heard me! Get moving, the both of ya!' Joey didn't look back at either of them, he was crouched low, hands clenched into fists, as if he could fight the creatures off with his bare hands. Their other friends were doing much the same: forming a line behind Bakura. 'We'll hold 'em off!'

Not for the first time in his life, Yugi understood why people called he and his friend group crazy.

'Yami, Yugi, go!' Téa yelled, a tremble in her voice, her small fists clenched tight. Small and demure looking, but Yugi wasn't fooled. He remembered those slender, strong legs split kicking the undead in the face once.

'Guys, we don't know what will happen if Yugi isn't-'

'Risk we have to take, I'm afraid!' Bakura yelled. There was an echo in his voice. 'No time to agrue about it!'

No time to think about it. No time for anything. Yugi felt Yami grab his arm once more and again they were running. Their lungs bursting for air. Their eyes streaming with what might be tears of pain. Yugi could feel the creatures behind them, a swarm of them following the light into the depths of the river. A crowd of them gathering at the walls watching as the strange group stood before what was likely their doom.

Yugi turned, he began running once more-

He tripped _._

A brief pain lanced through his ribs as dirt slid beneath him, and for the first time since he'd stepped into the river, Yugi felt the light falter. Sensed the liquid walls rattling all around them. He all but dragged Yami to a stop as he toppled.

'Oh for the love of- move it!'

And then someone -not Yami- grabbed him around the waist and _pulled_.

The next couple of minutes -seconds? hours?- were a bit of a blur.

* * *

Rebecca had been staring at the screen of her computers -still firing information and energy back and forth like missiles across cyberspace- when the power died.

The computer flickered, screens blacking out one after the other as the systems finally overloaded from the pressure being forced upon them. Every light in the campervan exploded, plunging Rebecca and her grandfather into a darkness far too deep for mid-afternoon Nevada.

 _'No, no...'_

For a very long time, Rebecca and her grandfather could only sit there, hearts pounding in the new darkness. When Rebecca finally came back to herself, she toppled from her chair, rapidly pushing the computers power supply switches on and off repeatedly, begging in silence for something. Anything.

Nothing happened. The power in the whole van was cut, and the signal of shadow magic had faded completely.

It took all of Rebecca's adolescent sense of control to keep from crying.

* * *

When they hit the tear at last, Yugi was barely aware of it.

There was no warning. No small shape coming ever closer as they ran towards it in a panicked throng towards it. No changing of the air around him or subtle shifts of power. There was only the sensation of being _tugged_ through a tiny hole in the world, and then suddenly, there they were.

Yugi jolted into a sitting position at the feeling of an arm around his shoulder.

'Yami...?'

'It's alright; we're safe.' Yami had, at some point, rescued a hair tie. His hair was held back from his head again, in a way that just barely controlled it. Yugi looked at his hands - they were coated with dried dirt. Both of them looked as if they'd picked a fight in a muddy field.

'The others...' Yugi looked around. The sharp pain of before was already fading to a dull ache behind his ribs - nothing broken there then; good. Nobody else was present. Only Yami crouched at Yugi's side, the darkness thick around them.

Darkness which, now that he was looking at it properly, was far from empty. Things were _moving_ \- patches of shadow that seemed to reach out towards them. 'Where... did they go?' _Are they alright?_

'Presumably still out there, trying to guard the entrance,' Yami suggested. 'That was some impressive work from Bakura. And without even knowing what he was capable of...'

Yugi nodded, gripping Yami's arms tightly to help himself stand upright. 'They stayed behind to hold those things off...' That did make sense.

'Right. And you and I were able to pass through the Téar into the Shadow Realm because of them.' Then Yami turned and pointed behind him. _'You_ being here, however... that I _don't_ understand.'

'It's not as if I've never seen this place before,' Kaiba muttered.

Yugi blinked in surprise, turning as quickly as he could without sending jolts of pain down his spine. And there, indeed, was Seto Kaiba, standing, staring into the darkness and -to Yugi's partial frustration, _not_ looking as if he were covered in dirt.

'Yes,' Yami said, with a kind of softness Yugi rarely heard in him. 'I suppose you have, haven't you?'

'Kaiba...' Yugi started, but his voice trailed away, unsure of what he'd even been about to ask in the first place. Something like "how the heck are you here and what the hell just happened?" 'Okay you're... here... in the Shadow Realm. What does that mean, exactly?'

'It means I picked you up and carried you, obviously,' Kaiba muttered.

Yugi blinked again. 'You carried me.'

'More like, picked you up and _threw_ you,' Yami snorted.

'I tripped. If I had _thrown_ him, Yami, I wouldn't be here right now,' Kaiba turned to face them finally, eyes falling on Yugi. Their apparent glow from before had faded, but Yugi could still see it - pinpricks, really, at the back of Kaiba's eyes.

 _'I was still_ holding onto him, you know,' Yami insisted.

'Oh _please_ , he nearly dragged you down with him. Plus, you're barely a head taller than he is and that's still ridiculously short.'

'You... carried me into the Shadow Realm...' Yugi repeated.

He still felt oddly hung up on that point.

'So we've established,' Kaiba snapped. 'So now we're _here_ in this miserable place,' he glanced around with the same distasteful look someone might give home decor that was twenty years out of date, rather than the origins of all the dark magic in creation. 'What exactly are we planning to do about it?'

Yugi swallowed, still looking around uncomfortably at the writhing shadows all around him. he had that familiar, constant feeling of being watched by a hundred thousand eyes. truthfully, he hadn't really thought too far beyond "get to the Téar".

He looked around again. It was fainter, but he could still see the light glistening in his veins and fingertips. Of course... If it had been truly dark, with no light to reflect anything... then he shouldn't have been able to see Yami, or Kaiba, or himself. All the light in this place was coming from them. '...I don't know.'

'You don't know,' Kaiba repeated, bluntly. He didn't look half as scared as Yugi felt they all should be.

'I... this wasn't exactly part of the plan, Kaiba!' The _plan_ had been to _get_ to the tear and close the bleed in the Shadow Realm, not _end up in the Shadow Realm itself_.

'You say that, but all I see is blackness and... and whatever those things are that vanish every time we turn to see them,' Kaiba actually shuddered a little. Yugi couldn't blame him. The sensation of being watched was omnipresent in the shadow realm. There were always a hundred thousand eyes seeking you out in the pitch black. Creatures that _belonged_ here, in a way humans never would.

Surely, Yugi thought, they were as disturbed by this intrusion of light into their domain as humans would be to see _them_.

'None of us planned this,' Yami explained. 'As soon as we got within reach of the tear it... pulled us in. Like a magnet, I suppose.'

'That explains him being here, not you or me,' Kaiba said.

Yami gave Kaiba one of his long, knowing looks, but said nothing to that. 'Whatever the case, we're here now. There must be a way back... and a way to close the tear behind us.'

'Wait... guys, Listen,' Yugi said.

Neither of them paid him heed. 'Oh great, good to know that you planned this through.'

'It isn't like we have an instruction manual to the Shadow Realm, Kaiba.'

'Except we do: it's called _you_ , and the Crystal Cloud network we just used to get us in here. You didn't _think_ to consider-'

'Will you both be quiet?´ Yugi snapped.

The other two fell silent and Yugi turned his attention to the darkness. Under the whispering of the shadows and Kaiba's annoyed muttering, Yugi could still hear it and now he was certain he hadn't imagined it... sobs.

Someone in the darkness was crying.

* * *

Serenity was not in the least bit ashamed to admit this: when Mark Ishtar's face vanished from the screen before them and the entirely of Kaiba Corp HQ plunged abruptly into a power cut, she _did_ scream. Just a little.

'Ouch, gods damn you,' Yami Bakura hissed, hands grasping his ears as he shoved the chair he'd been sitting in back, halfway across the room. 'Big noise for a small mouse.'

'Oh shut up,' Duke muttered, looking around the suddenly dark room in confusion. Serenity could see his eyes catching whatever light remained in the room. 'The hell just happened?'

'Power outage,' one of the security guards muttered, seeming to have been freed from the confused trance they were in a few moments ago.

'Yeah, yeah you had better get right on that then huh?' Duke coughed. he was clutching Serenity's upper arm, as if preparing to drag her through the door. Serenity quite abruptly remembered that they were currently stood in the middle of Kaiba Corporation headquarters, during a black out, with a madman in possession of supernatural powers, and three men with guns pointed roughly in their direction.

'Someone else will. I think you three should come along with us now,' the security woman said. Serenity hesitated, but the woman still had a gun in her hands, and it was positioned in such a way that she could easily raise and fire it before any of them could bolt away.

Yami Bakura chuckled. 'Oh no, I don't think so, little underlings,' he said. 'I've done my part... now if you would _kindly_ get out of my way, we won't have to see anybody getting injured.'

Kaiba Corp Security clearly wasn't used to these kind of threats being levelled at them by strangely dressed men who wouldn't look out of place on a university campus. So it took them a couple of moments to respond. By that time, however, Yami Bakura had reached out to touch both Duke and Serenity on their shoulders.

Serenity felt a rush of air all around her; the sensation of smoke billowing in her face... and then they were stood somewhere entirely different.

There was a road not too far away from them - completely empty, just like the street on which they stood. All around them were the neat little avenues of houses common to inner city Domino, lights glowing warmly in their windows. On the other side of the dark street, a racoon was sniffing around a clump of trash cans and tangled bushes, glowing faintly in the light of a streetlamp.

'The hell did you just do?' Duke blurted out.

'Apart from save you from a nice little trip to wherever Kaiba Corporation keeps its suspected criminals and spies, you mean?' Yami Bakura stretched his arms lazily above his head. 'I took a _shortcut.'_

'Wait, hang on,' Duke blurted out. 'What the- why... Bakura, what the hell just happened there? That was the Crystal Cloud network, wasn't it? And the Shadows... I... what the _hell_ were you just doing?'

'How the hell should I know? Yami Bakura shrugged. 'I speak in shadows, little mortal, not in the language of human scientists. Whatever the hell state their systems are in now, after that... Well, it's none of my business. I did my job. and now that little pest of a Surface of mine... well, he would do well to show me some respect when he gets back from this little excursion.'

'Then... they're all okay? Serenity asked, trying to ignore the idle threat in Yami Bakura's voice. 'My brother? His friends?'

'Once again: how the _hell_ should I know? But _Ryou Bakura_ is safe,' his eyes flashed. 'That's really all that matters to me. Still, I'd say it's a fair bet that your brother is the same. Provided the Shadows hadn't already gotten to him, that is. And if that's all, I do believe I'll be going.'

'Wait a second,' Duke stammered, still clearly trying to get over being teleported goodness only knew how far... Serenity wasn't even sure which street this was. 'You're not going anywhere until we have some answers.'

'I hardly think you're in a position for threatening me, mortal,' Yami Bakura snorted. And then he leaned close to Serenity, his breath in her face and his eyes locked on hers. He held one of her small hands n a bruising grip, lifting it up to his face as if he meant to kiss it. From another angle, he could've been mistaken for Ryou Bakura, but not this one. Not with those close, hard, vaguely amused eyes staring into hers. Not with that smirk and the scar on his face. Serenity could feel the static building around her with his presence.

'It has, believe it or not, been _quite_ a pleasure, little mouse,' Yami Bakura sneered.

And then he vanished, stepping backwards into a puddle of shadows and disappearing, before Duke could even think about punching him in the face.

* * *

Yugi listened closely for a few more seconds, trying to trace the location the sound... and then took a step towards it.

The shape before them loomed upwards instantly - as if it had just been waiting for them to see it. Darkness within darkness, visible only when the light of the human figures before them fell upon it. It seemed to be sticking up from the ground on an angle, bigger than all of them - a jagged rock-like shape in the dark.

'Is that a boat?' Kaiba frowned.

A memory flickered in Yugi's mind. The newspaper he had read a few days ago. The story of the sinking boat... He searched his memory for the name. 'The Asphodel,' he whispered. Could it be?

'The what?' Kaiba asked.

'It... was a ship,' Yugi said. He looked at Yami, who seemed to be figuring out what Yugi was talking about.

Yugi stepped forward, thankful for Yami's hold on his arm as he walked. At the edge of the shape, he looked up - it towered over him but seemed more than ever like the wrecked hull of a ship sticking out of a surf. When he reached out his hand, he touched smooth, water softened wood and felt the roughness of barnacles... It wasn't the ship itself, he realised. It was the _idea_ of the ship. An echo of it, imprinted on the Shadow Realm... like the Blast pattern left by bodies on stone after a nuclear blast.

Something had happened on board the Asphodel all those years ago. Something that had accessed the Shadow Realm...

And now, here they were, decades later...

'Yugi,' Yami said urgently, and when Yugi turned in his direction, he finally saw the root of all their problems.

The figure was child sized. It had no distinct features except for two dark pits of eyes, no clothing, nothing but an outlined shape of dim light, glowing in the endless dark. It curled up besides the dark frame of the wreckage, Rubbing the shape of its hands together like a praying mantis. When Yugi took a step towards it, it flinched backwards in fear.

'It's... you. Isn't it,' Yugi murmured. 'You're keeping the tear open. What... are you?'

'I think a better question would be _who_ are you,' Yami murmured.

Yugi knelt down slowly, putting himself on the _lightchildthing's_ eye level. It gazed at him firmly, hands clutched over where it's heart should be. 'They... were human?'

'Once,' Yami said. 'But they've been here a long time... twenty years to be exact.'

'I'm not exactly keyed up on Austrian Maritime History,' Kaiba said bluntly, as if there _wasn't_ a shadow of a long dead child sitting before them in the shadows. 'The Asphodel was a ship which sank somewhere in the Danube river, then?'

Yami nodded. 'They never found out what caused the sinking,' he said softly. 'It's... not impossible that someone on board was carrying out Shadow Magic... That they broke into this realm in a way they didn't anticipate and... became trapped.'

'If that's the case -and it sounds ridiculous - then why did it take so long to have an effect on our world?' Kaiba asked.

Yami looked at him, and Yugi felt something like fear twist in his gut. 'Because the rules governing the Shadow Realm have... changed, since my return, Kaiba,' Yami said. 'You know that as well as I do. You remember Ishizu's warning... a warning we all refused to give enough heed.'

Yugi nodded to himself, still not taking his eyes off the childlike figure. The Pharaoh's return had shaken the world; had allowed gateways to open which should have been closed. Had brought the darkness down with it. It was always something that Yugi had known, theoretically, could happen, but seeing it's effects now... He couldn't help but feel guilty for what had brought it about. These things may only have happened because Yami continued to live.

Still... that wouldn't change what had happened to the Asphodel all those years ago, he thought.

'Even so... this particular event happened a long time ago. And haven't you come a long way?' he said to the child. It was true. Bratislava was so far from here... miles upon miles away from where the ship went down.

'They must have fallen into the river during the incident,' Yami murmured. 'It seems I was wrong... this _was_ a ghost story all along.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' Kaiba asked.

You know the answer to that question already, Kaiba... that there are places where the Shadow Realm is thinner than others... and places where it can even be torn asunder, ripped apart. You know. You did it. And so did this child... They must have been trapped here all those years, since whatever happened on board the Asphodel... until the fabric of reality shifted and he... found a way back to our world.'

'And brought the rest of the Shadow Realm with him accidentally,' Yugi nodded. It all made sense somehow.

Yami nodded. 'I doubt he was responsible for the magic wreaked upon them. Nor do I know why he remained here when nobody else did. But he was their victim all the same.'

It was then that Yugi noticed the child's curled hands weren't empty.

'What've you got there? Can I see...?'

The child flinched, but Yugi gave his best smile, trying as hard as he could to hide the sadness curling in his gut, and the pain in his limbs. To think of it as just another young duellist, coming over to him, to shyly ask him to look over their desk. To give them pointers...

The child reached out one hand, and Yugi reached out to take the item from him.

Cards.

The shape of the child hadn't been wringing it's hands- it had been shuffling a deck. Yugi couldn't make out the images, but he sensed they were Duel Monsters cards - they certainly felt like cards, when the child placed them in his hand. He shuffled the child's deck on instinct, as if this were just another duel with another opponent. It was impossible to make out whatever creatures the cards contained: the images had faded to nothing but thin, white paper. But if Yugi closed his eyes, they felt exactly like a Duelling Deck would. Their edges were curved, like the versions only available before holographic technology.

Meaning this deck that was more than twenty years old.

It wasn't a large tear in the shadow realm, after all. In fact, it was no bigger than the deck the boy had been shuffling in his hands.

It _was_ the deck.

One way or another, Yugi thought with a sad smile, it always seemed to come back to Duel Monsters.

'I'm sure they're good cards,' Yugi said quietly, upon realising the child was staring at him expectantly, like a normal kid, just waiting for feedback. Behind him, both Kaiba and Yami stood quietly, clearly letting Yugi lead the way.

'What is he _doing_?' Yugi heard Kaiba mumble, and Yami shushing him. Kaiba, to his credit, did as was instructed for once.

And all at once, Yugi knew exactly what he had to do.

How long had this child been here? Twenty years was the simplest answer but also... not entirely correct. Yugi remembered his first time in the Shadow Realm, his mind shuffled back and forth with Yami's, to protect them from Pegasus's precognition as they duelled against him. Time was different here... it had felt longer. Besides "someone messed around with Shadow Magic in a way they shouldn't have", who knew what had _really_ happened on the day the Asphodel sank. Who knew what had caused the tear to open here and now, or how long the child had actually been here, trapped with nothing but his deck and his memories. He might've been trapped here for eternity, nothing more than a shadow of a human being.

But then... then Yami had returned.

And everything had changed; not just for them, but for every being in every dimension in existence.

Yugi held the deck back out to its owner. 'You have to go now. The game's over.' The child looked at Yugi as it took back the whitened deck. It's posture broadcasted confusion. 'I know it's scary,' Yugi said. 'I know that you've been stuck here for a long time... Believe me, I exactly what that feels like. It killed me once, too. But you don't have to stay here anymore. We opened the door for you, y'see. You... can go.'

The figure's posture seemed to change... some of its fear faded, it's thin shoulders shrank. As they watched, it seemed to brush it's hand across Yugi's cheek.

It was only that Yugi realised he had been crying.

'You... know how to end the game, right?' Yugi smiled.

The child figure stood up slowly, but continued to gaze at Yugi for what felt like forever. Then slowly, it raised one of its thin hands... and placed it down on top of the deck. The shadows all around them seemed to stir. In the back of his mind, Yugi could hear the rushing sound of water.

It said something about Kaiba's life that this was far from the most insane thing he had ever seen Yugi Mutou doing.

The child vanished gradually, feet first - breaking away into tiny fragments that blew away on a wind Yugi couldn't feel. The deck was the last thing to vanish and, for a moment, in the space where the deck had been, was a tiny, open patch of light - a vision of water on the other side. When Yugi reached out to touch it, that tear widened, stretching out until it was almost the same height as Kaiba, and on the other side...

Water. The deep, blue waters of the human world, showing through like a video on a flat screen.

'That's... earth, right?' he asked, sounding slightly unsure of himself without meaning to.

'Unless there's some kind of water dimension in existence that I don't know about,' Yami muttered. 'We... are in the middle of the river. We should go back.'

Kaiba grunted. 'Preaching to the choir. But how exactly are we supposed to do that?' he directed the question at Yugi because... hell, he seemed to be the one who actually had the faintest idea what was going on, right now.

'I... guess we just step out...' Yugi said, slowly, shrugging. 'And... and we close the Téar then... unless you _want_ to close a gateway to the Shadow Realm while we're still inside of it,' he gave Kaiba was he probably _hoped_ was a knowing smile, but looked more like a grimace.

'And that's it?' Kaiba scowled. 'You just say so and away it goes? Thousands of people died here, Yugi.'

'It wasn't their fault,' Yugi said. he sounded tired enough to not care about arguing. 'They were trapped here, Kaiba. You know what that's like.'

Kaiba felt himself bristle on instinct. Yes. he knew. This place was as familiar to him now as the Crystal Cloud network... Perhaps because, as little as he acknowledged tit, the Crystal Cloud's entire existence owed something of itself to the Shadow Realm: to Seto Kaiba doing what he did best - taking something he didn't understand, and crafting a strategy against it that he did. 'So you used my technology to... what? Give a kid stuck in the shadow realm a part on the head? That's how we solve this so called end of the world event?'

'It was your technology that opened the gateway for me to return in the first place, Kaiba. It seems only fitting that we used it to fix this particular problem,' Yami said.

'Guys, come on...' Kaiba thought he heard Yugi saying, but he really wasn't paying attention. His eyes were fixed on Yami, something like frustration and yet... not, was bubbling in his gut.

'I don't regret it,' he said. Though... what Yami was expecting him to _regret_ he couldn't say.

'Hm, and on that note, there's something I never told you, Kaiba. I feel I should do it now before our friends are back to mock us for it.'

Kaiba felt himself bracing on instinct. ready for an attack that never came. Because he _knew_ Yami. Better in some ways than he knew himself. Better than he knew Mokuba. Because they were cut from the same cloth, if crafted in entirely different worlds. His attitude was as predictable as the cards in his deck. 'If this is going to be another of a ridiculous friendship speeches you got from Gardner-'

'Thank you.'

Even Yugi was completely silent in response to this statement. Kaiba waited for a long time. It felt like the moment before turning over a trap card - like the second before your life point counter hit Zero, and Kaiba realised he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. For Yami to pull some new trick out of his deck.

Except this wasn't a game of duel monsters, and the look on Yami's face practically reeked on sincerity. '... _What_?'

'If it weren't for you... I wouldn't be here. And this... problem might never have been solved. Even if it is a problem that admittedly _might_ only have existed because we broke the rules of reality one time too many.'

'Technically,' Kaiba managed to voice. 'I didn't go looking for _you_.' He went looking for the Pharaoh. For the image he'd had in his mind all of those many years. For the duel he had been denied...

'Perhaps not. But you found me, and if it weren't for that...' he glanced over at Yugi -the _real_ Yugi, Kaiba couldn't help but think- and smiled. 'Well. I thought you should know... I don't regret it either, Kaiba. I regret what may have _resulted_ from it. But I'll never regret being alive.'

Kaiba took a deep breath before he spoke again, the silence around them deep and cavernous and filled with all the things that would not - could not- be spoken aloud by either of them. Yami was looking at him in a way that was much too sincere for comfort.

Alright, are we quite done with emotional circle time? Because I would like, if at all possible, to get the hell out of the eternal darkness and go back to running my company. So if our living Flashlight here would kindly get us _through_ that door-'

'You know, you're glowing in the dark too, in case you hadn't noticed, Kaiba.'

'...I'm _what_?'

Yugi sighed. 'I wasn't going to tell him that until we got out of here, Yami.'

'I'm mostly just annoyed that he's pretending to be surprised,' Yami snorted. 'Kaiba, you're certainly not darkness, as much of a buzz-kill as you are. Nothing but the magic of Light could have allowed you to stand here with us right now, how else do you think you're even _alive_?'

'...You did not just use the word _buzz-kill_ in sincerity.'

'Oh god, are you two _bantering_?'

And when they both turned to stare at him in disbelief, Yugi, for no apparently reason, burst out laughing.

* * *

Bakura was the first to sense that something had changed on the other side of the tear.

He felt it in the spasm of the ground beneath his feet, in the shvier of magic before him. His hand had been closing voer the ehart of one of the beasts - reaching out to push it away before it could tear out Téa's heart and suddenly, everything had... changed.

The creatures felt it too. Where before they had charged desperately for the light now they were hesitating and fumbling. They no longer seemed concerned about the array of strange frightened humans between them and the Téar. By the time Bakura had helped a shaky Téa to her feet, they were scurrying away, like wasps from a diseased hive. Their furious cries replaced with what seemed like... sobbing...

Mai, stood up right, standing proud over a fallen creature, looking very much like one of her avenging Harpies, her blue eyes widening as the creatures began to scatter...

'What's happening...' Téa whispered. Bakura couldn't answer. Not because he didn't know, but because he didn't know how he was supposed to explain... The Shadows had been cut. The things were feeling the traces of humanity still left in their twisted bones.

Joey raised a still clenched fist to wipe the blood from his nose. 'The hell-'

Tristan opened his mouth. Whatever he was going to say faded, as a deep, heavy rumbling filled all of their ears.

'Ohhh boy,' Joey sucked in a breath, as a shadow fell over them all.

Slowly, gradually, the carved pathway Yugi's light had cut for them through the river was closing in on itself... From the point where Yugi, Yami and Kaiba had vanished, the water was rushing back into the previously empty space, sucking the remaining creatures up into its swell.

Bakura didn't have time to panic before Téa was grabbing his hand and screaming at everyone to run.

* * *

Yami and Kaiba both looked at him as if he'd gone insane.

 _Maybe I have_ , Yugi thought. _Why else would I feel like laughing right now? We just met a child who died years ago... we just sealed a tear in the Shadow Realm created by a deck of cards... Seto Kaiba just admitted he's glad he brought my other half back from the dead and I think he might actually have been_ smiling _when he said it... Exactly how could things get any more bizarre than this?_

The answer came in Yami, taking Yugi's arm and pulling it over his shoulder... and Kaiba grabbing the other. He made a distinct point to avoid everyone's gaze while doing so, but the hand gripping Yugi's arm, was as firm and sure as anything Kaiba ever did. Then they were stepping forwards into bright light, while Yugi tried his damned hardest _not_ to pass out.

The next thing he knew he was breathing in briny water.

They weren't near the ocean, he knew, yet you could still taste the edge of the sea in the Danube's waters - the silt stirred up by the chaos. But it was _just_ water, Yugi realised, after a moment of almost drowning in it. Deep and grey, but without a trace of the previous darkness that had infested it.

No shadow creatures writhed in its depths, no hands reached out to claw at him. The gateway to the Shadow Realm had closed. He could see what looked like a glimmer of sunlight far overhead - somehow still glowing through the depths of the water.

Then there were bubbles, and hands grabbing at his arms, pulling him to the surface. A rush of cold, clear air in his lungs, accompanied by a stab of pain...

And then the world darkened again.

* * *

Growing up, Joey had always thought he was a strong swimmer. He learned the basics, after all, and he was pretty tough so really, how hard could it be? Then one day a crazy man with a Millennium Item chained he and his best friend to a duelling arena suspended over the Domino City pier, and forced them to duel until a winner sent the loser plunging into the ocean.

Did he mention they'd both been attached to a heavy anchor?

Anyway, not long after that, Joey had splashed out on actual lessons. The kind you got when you worked in the lifeguard business - proper swimming technique, air conservation, CPR, the works...

Right now he was _not_ regretting that decision.

He remembered how the water sounded as it crashed down around them -more like he imagined a collapsing tower block might sound than a river's tide. Like an earthquake. He felt detached from his body, the way he always did in moments of near death, counting on fight and flight to keep him alive. He saw himself grab Mai by the waist, pulling her close and hanging on, praying that the water wouldn't sweep them away.

Being hit with the wave of water, released from the shadow magic sustaining it, was rather like being smacked by a truck. Joey only just managed to swallow a gulp of air before the entire contents of the Danube river swept over them and dragged them along for the ride. Mai's hair, masses of it that there were, flew in his face, like strands of layered golden kelp, her arms wrapped tight around him as the water fell upon them. He caught brief glimpses of their friends as the river closed inward, then there was nothing but water for a while.

They were floating in semi darkness for what felt like an eternity. The water was grey and heavy with silt, but that was all. There was a moment of panic as Joey remembered the _things_ they had seen swirling in the waters depths - the creatures with too many teeth and monstrous faces. But now there was nothing; not even perfectly regular fish.

 _Bubbles, follow the bubbles_ , Joey remembered a teacher telling him. But before he had a chance to act on it, he was already being dragged upwards by the force of Mai's ascent, both of them powering through the murky, silt ridden water towards what Joey hoped was the surface. It couldn't be that deep, could it? It was just a river...

Mai and Joey broke the surface together, just in time to see the first of the light return to the streets of Vienna. The clouds above them fractured and split, like glass shattering, warm sunlight pouring down. Bakura and Téa were just in front of them, both looking as much like drowned rats as Joey felt, Bakura struggling to keep floating and get his sodden hair out of his eyes at the same time. A furious, repeated swearing behind him told Joey that Tristan had made it to the surface too.

'Oh, great!' Téa smacked the water before her - whether in frustration, or just to keep floating, Joey didn't know. ' _Now_ what?!'

'Dunno, man!' Joey spat water. 'I figured this part would kill us!'

'Nope! S-still alive, it seems!'; Bakura coughed. His hair was plastered against his forehead, practically blinding him, which would've been _hilarious_ if it weren't for the fact the shore looked like it was miles away. Maybe it was... how far had Yugi taken them into the river?

Wait, _Yugi..._

There was a flash of light below, and a moment later, someone else exploded to the surface. It took Joey a couple of seconds to work out the bedraggled, waterlogged figure spitting liquid was Seto Kaiba. 'Whoa, dude. Looks like they didn't get rid of all the alien freaks.' Tristan laughed.

'Oh... shut... the hell up, Taylor!'

'Nice to... see you too,' Joey smirked. Kaiba looked _ridiculous_ and that fancy expensive white coat of his clearly did _not_ stand up to water. But Kaiba wasn't paying him any heed.

'Wait-They were _here_ , they-' There was something almost like panic in Kaiba's eyes, but before Joey had time to consider how weird that was, Kaiba was already diving downwards into the water, and Joey realised.

 _'Yugi... Yami...'_ Neither of them had emerged from the white light, and if Kaiba was already here...

Kaiba grabbed Joey's waterlogged shirt with one hand, almost tearing it. 'Wheeler, can that damned Pharaoh swim?!'

'I... what...'

'You heard me! He's from ancient Egypt, I doubt they had lessons! Can. Yami. _**Swim**_?'

'I... I dunno, I never asked!'

'Kaiba, where are they?!' Téa was yelling, her eyes bright with growing panic.

'How the _hell_ should I know? Damn it, they were right here!' Kaiba smashed the water furiously.

'I... we're near the coast, they must be further down...' Bakura sounded desperate, as if he already knew he was wrong.

Kaiba smashed whatever allusions he might've had anyway. 'I touched the bottom, it's a damn river, its only ten metres max!' Kaiba looked like he was preparing to dive again, and Joey was about ready to go with him, when they both saw it. The bubbles.

All around them, they were rising to the surface of the water, larger and larger, more and more... A hissing roar came from below. Like something huge and monstrous were rising out of the deep. Kaiba said the river was eight metres deep max, but whatever was approaching felt as if it was travelling much further - rising out of the deepest depths of the ocean.

None of them had time for panic before the ocean beneath them suddenly ascended. The ground lurched as Joey suddenly found his feet touching something solid beneath them and staggered to his knees against what felt just like the mulched, rotten bed of the river.

Joey grabbed Mai and Bakura, just in time to keep them from following rushing water off the side of... Whatever it was that had risen underneath them. Téa somehow managed to stay balanced, all but dancing around the rushing water. Tristan was clinging to something large and black, jutting out from the huge surface beneath them, and Kaiba -smug asshole that he was- didn't even _stagger_ as new ground rose beneath him.

The force of it threw Mai onto her side, and Joey onto his back. He sat there for a moment, gazed, staring up at the cracks of light leaking through the previously dark sky. The ground beneath him was damp and rough, and the _smell_...

'Oh god, somethin' reeks,' Joey gagged. It was like the stench of a beach at low tide, with a touch of rotten fish and basement mould sprinkled on for garnish. Like rotting wood that had been resting underwater for years...

...It _was_ rotting wood that had been resting underwater for years. Joey sat up, staring around in disbelief. The space they were all gathered on was approximately fifteen metres long - jagged, kelp strewn planks and posts sticking up all around them. 'What the _hell_?'

'Is this...' Téa looked around, bewildered. 'This is a _ship_ , isn't it?'

'I do believe it is,' Bakura coughed, tentatively patting the warped, rotting wood beneath him. 'Or what remains of one. Well. That's certainly something.'

 _Certainly something_ was right. The ruins of a ship had risen up from the Danube right beneath them. Joey blinked brackish water out of his eyes, trying to figure out how this could've happened. If Kaiba was right about the river's depth, there was nowhere this huge structure could've come from.

'Yugi!' it was Tristan's voice. Mai gripped Joey's arm tight with the closest to terror she ever came.

Joey turned to see Yami, clinging to one of the sodden, black-wood mast's to stay sitting, his red eyes wide. And Yugi-

 _No._

Yugi was lying in Yami's arms and this was _not_ the first time Joey had seen him drowning. He knew what it looked like. A dread colder than the water around them seeped into his gut.

Everyone _bolted_ towards them and somehow, Kaiba was the first to get there, dragging Yugi out of a terrified looking Yami's hold and practically dropping him on the deck. 'Joey, get over here!' he yelled.

In spite of everything, hearing his _actual name_ from Kaiba's mouth made Joey falter. '...What? '

'You know damn CPR, get _on with it_!' Kaiba snapped, his hands already closed into a loose fist over Yugi's chest. And Joey didn't bother to ask how Kaiba _knew_ that.

He just started the damn CPR.


	24. Chapter Twenty Three - Aftermaths

**Chapter Twenty Three - Aftermaths.**

* * *

Joey had never actually done the breathing-for-someone-else part of CPR.

Okay _fine_ , so he had gotten kind of self-conscious in the class with the plastic dummy and the cute instructor, but there _really_ wasn't time for embarrassment now. Yugi's mouth was colder than plastic would be. The chill of the air had started to seep in everywhere, cutting through Joey's clothes to his skin. Funny. Joey hadn't realised how freezing the water had been... how much colder it was now that the shadows had leaked away.

 _'You're gonna laugh at me for this later, right? Laugh and probably go bright red.'_

He grit his teeth. Focused on Kaiba's count 'One, two... fifteen... twenty five...' Joey was pretty sure he'd never paid something Kaiba said this much attention in his life and never would again.

The brief glimpses he got of Yami in between his breaths were somehow worse. The desperate horror in his eyes. Joey remembered that expression. He had never wanted to see it ever again. He _couldn't_ keep watching it now.

 _'You will. You will be totally embarrassed and Yami's gonna tease you and... come on,_ please _, Yugi, you can do this.'_

'Yami...' At some point Téa had seen Yami losing his grip on the mast and moved around to catch him before he fell, and he clung to her with one arm, the other reaching out for Yugi.

'We weren't down there long, we...'

'It'll be okay.'

'He wouldn't let _go_ of me, Téa...'

'Oh, Yami, of _course_ he wouldn't.'

Joey didn't have the breath to spare on reassurance. Yugi's ribs were already cracked. This pressure couldn't be helping... Turned out, Kaiba saved people's lives in exactly the same way he duelled - all harsh. Sharp moves, no mercy. Blunt force trauma personified.

'Hear that, Muto? Yami's calling.' Joey was pretty sure Kaiba said that, even if he'd later deny it. 'When did you ever ignore him? Get _back here_ and answer.'

Someone was whispering desperate pleas under their breath, but Joey didn't have the time to look and see who. He was too busy forcing air into his best friend's lungs. Yami kept trying to move but his entire body was trembling so much Téa seemed to be the only thing keeping him stable. _because they're linked_ , a frantic part of Joey's mind said. _'Because what happens to Yugi, Yami can feel... because if Yugi dies here it'll tear him apart._

 _'Like it won't tear the rest of us apart too? Come on, Yugi,_ _ **please**_ _.'_

The beeping sound was faint, and Joey didn't know what it was until Bakura approached. Until he reached down, pulling something purple from what Joey presumed was Yugi's pocket. Kaiba spared Bakura a _what the hell_ kind of glance between compressions, and Yami glanced briefly up from Yugi's body. Bakura had pulled out Yugi's phone. And it was ringing. Dull and rattling - but _somehow_ still working in spite of the burst of power that had exploded from the screen not so long ago. Not to mention being submerged in a river and the shadow realm alike.

Bakura looked at Yami. 'I... maybe...' he murmured, seemingly talking to himself.

Then Bakura pushed forwards, and with surprising force, shoved Kaiba's hand aside. Joey didn't have time to ask what the hell Bakura thought he was doing before Bakura placed the phone down on Yugi's chest, right where Kaiba's hands had been, and pressed the _answer_ button.

Joey had been in the middle of a breath when the air _crackled_ , static carving its way up from Yugi's mouth to his. It was the same trembling, sharp sensation Joey had felt all around them when the water first parted. Bakura staggered backwards, dropping the phone, seeming dazed. Kaiba's glare softened slightly, and he gave Yugi a single hard _thump_ on the chest.

Yugi choked.

Nobody in the class had warned Joey about the part when the resuscitated person threw up all the water in their lungs. Yugi's eyes shot open, and for one brief moment, Joey thought he could still see that light burning in his pupils, bright as the sun breaking through the clouds above. Then Yugi blinked and it was gone. Joey started breathing for himself alone again.

'Yugi!'

There was _another_ tone of voice Joey hadn't heard from Yami in a long time -the kind of joy and relief that came with the world not _actually_ ending when it really _should've_. He was already pushing anyone in the way aside and throwing his arms around Yugi's neck. For one long relieved moment that was how they stayed, Yugi gripping Yami's shoulders tight, eyes dazed and bewildered but smiling all the same.

'I thought... for one moment...'

'Yami?' Yugi's voice was hoarse ad confused, but _alive_.

'I didn't... I... gods, Yugi.' Yami finally pulled back, smiling. 'Thank the _gods_.'

'Jeeze, Yug,' Tristan was almost laughing in relief. _'_ Look, you gotta stop _doing_ stuff like that.'

'I... sorry?'

'So you damn well should be!' Téa snapped, but there was a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. 'Once, Yugi, just _once_ , I'd like to visit you all without the end of the world coming and you nearly getting yourself killed!'

'Wait, the _Asphodel_...' Yugi's voice was shaking.

'Yes, um,' Bakura coughed. Joey saw him lean over to place Yugi's phone back in its owner's pocket. 'That wouldn't happen be the name of a _ship_ by any chance, would it?'

Yugi looked around. Only now did he seem to figure out where they were, and slumped back into Yami's hold. Joey couldn't tell if he was relieved or just exhausted... but there was a sadness in his voice when he spoke. 'Oh.'

'Yeah. Oh,' Yami deadpanned. 'Looks like we brought it to the surface with us.'

'Then... the people...'

'Are at peace now,' Yami smiled. 'You did it, Partner. Looks like I was wrong. It _was_ a ghost story after all.'

'Wait, what are we talking about here?' Mai frowned. 'Is this another one of those ridiculously _long_ stories?'

'And can you maybe tell it _later_ , now that you're done having your little moment?' Kaiba said. At some point after Yugi started to breath under his own power again Kaiba had moved about fifteen feet away and was now standing at the shipwreck's broken port, looking towards the shore. 'Seems we still have company after all.'

Joey stood, determinedly _not_ acknowledging how much his legs were shaking, and looked towards the shore. The light was growing now - more clear air than clouds overhead. Daylight was breaking over the city of Vienna, several hours too late. There were no signs of the creatures shambling between buildings... But there _were_ shapes moving about at the river side. Shapes of people, watching the strange artefact that had just risen out of the water. Some of them were waving. Others were just standing around. None of them looked like they were twisting into mutant beasts, or trying to claw their own eyes out.

'They're... okay?' Téa whispered.

'Not all of them, I expect,' Kaiba said bluntly. 'Or at least you'd better _hope_ not, where the people who tore themselves apart are concerned.'

'Ew, Kaiba,' Téa shuddered. 'Just... ew.'

' _You_ asked.'

'Hey, Joey?' there was a tug at Joey's arm. Yugi's voice was so quiet Joey had to lean down close to hear him. 'Never... a dull moment... huh?'

Joey smiled and shrugged. 'I dunno, we got a good couple of months peace an' quiet before this.'

'Joey... '

'Yeah bud?'

'Yami can't _swim_ , Joey... ' Yugi sounded completely bewildered by this.

Joey raised an eyebrow. 'No kidding.'

'It's true. He _sank_ ,' Yugi actually sounded a little offended, for some reason. 'Like a _rock_. I figured... I've seen him in water and _I_ can swim so... you know... '

'Yeah but he ain't _you_ anymore, Yug'.'

'And you've done nothing but get in trouble ever since that became a reality, I might add,' Yami smiled at them both. Joey tried to ignore the fact that Yami's shoulders were still shaking, and that there were still tears in his eyes as the shock of the situation sank in. Joey could see what looked like burn marks snaking along Yugi's palm, joining the ones which had long healed on his fingertips. The marks were red and vibrant, following the path of Yugi's veins.

'Yeah I _guess_ that makes sense,' Yugi said, seemingly to himself. 'I mean... Egypt, you know? Only one river... well...' he smiled faintly, closing his eyes. 'Two, if you count the Undernile. We need to fix that...'

'Yeah, sure, we can do that,' Joey agreed. _Gonna have to teach him CPR too, at this rate._

'I mean the _swimming_ ,' Yugi mumbled. 'Not the Undernile. We already fixed that... I think we saved them, Joey. The sailors... on board the _Asphodel_. They were down there for such a long time and... and one of them was just a kid. But... they're safe now, right? We saved them?'

'Sure did, Yug; I knew you could,' Joey couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Yami. 'Seriously, though, you can't _swim?'_

'What cause would I have to learn _swimming_? I grew up in the Desert, Joey!'

Joey snorted, falling back against the sodden deck. Definitely a good job he invested in those lessons. Now all he had to do was sign Yami up.

Bakura coughed. 'Okay so... now we're all feeling better, does anyone have any idea how we're going to... well, get out of the middle of the Danube?'

'We could use Kaiba's dumbass coat as a sail,' Tristan snorted. 'I mean, it's big eno-OW! Hell, Kaiba learn to take a joke, will ya?'

* * *

Marcus Le'Brour was fairly certain he was supposed to be dead.

Funnily enough, this was a possibility he had prepared for. He was a high ranking security employee of Kaiba Corporation. That company had a track record that made working as a liquidator for a nuclear cleanup crew seem like a safe and sensible career choice. There were records of assassination attempts -some of which seemed almost impossible-exploding buildings, and god only knew what else.

Needless to say he'd had a Will written up not long after being promoted.

And today, he had felt the hand -not a hand, a claw, sharp as a knife even though it seemed to be devoid of bone- stabbing deep into his chest. He had felt it jolt against his ribcage, the world fading out in a blur of colour and pain.

So yes, anyway, Marcus was fairly sure that he was supposed to be dead now. Coming back, and waking up under a random sheet in the middle of an arcade... had not been on his list of things to expect.

'Marcus?'

The sound of his employer's brother -clearly shocked and in distress-knocked some of the sense back into him. Marcus pulled the sheet off his head, instinct guiding a hand to his gun holster, only to find it empty. There was a cold, tight sensation in his chest, and when he reached up to touch it, there was a scar... deep and twisted around where his heart should be.

Mokuba Kaiba stood before him, his eyes large and wide in disbelief. 'I... you're not... I knew it... I knew when I saw the others...' he smiled. 'Thank god.'

'Sir?' Marcus got to his feet. 'What... exactly are you talking about?'

'I have no idea!' Mokuba laughed. 'I've checked most of the airport. There _are_ people still alive, Marcus, _dozens_ of them. But most of those who _are_ dead... they're not coming back.' He shook his head. 'It stabbed you right in the heart... I don't understand how you're _here_.'

'Neither do I, sir,' Marcus muttered. One hand going to the healed wound on his chest. 'What exactly happened?'

'I guess... the same thing that happened to the other survivors,' Mokuba sighed. He picked up a chair -one which Marcus vaguely remembered using as a bludgeoning weapon against some kind of hideous monster- and sat down in it. 'It doesn't kill _everyone_ , and some people hadn't changed as much as others, or died before they could change properly, so now it's over... it's all sort of reset. Just think of it like a videogame,' he smiled weakly. 'We just went back to the last checkpoint... or something.'

Marcus had no idea what that meant. He looked around, still wondering where his gun had gone. His muscles ached, but the world around him was bright and clear. He could even hear the sound of voices murmuring around them. The emergency lights of the airport were on, and daylight shone through overhead windows.

'Sir?'

'Yeah? What's up?'

'I...' Marcus coughed. 'I think I'd rather say this to you than Mister Kaiba, but... how long is the company notice period?'

Mokuba blinked. 'Um, a couple of weeks, I think. Although we can make exceptions for special circumstances,' his smile faltered for a second. 'Of course... If its work conditions you're concerned about... I mean, people's lives change right? Sometimes what worked for them before doesn't work anymore.'

'...Sir?'

'I'm just saying, we'd hate to lose your services... so what about if I promoted you instead?'

Marcus stared at him. 'Excuse me?'

'Yeah, how does _Head of Security at Kaiba Corporation, Domino City Area_ , sound to you?' Mokuba leaned back in his chair. 'Better pay, better hours, no more following teenagers around keeping us out of trouble... you even get Christmas Day off at last. Sound good?'

Sitting as he was in the middle of the airport isle, the boy looked older than he was.

'...I could consider that.' Marcus said slowly.

'Awesome.' Mokuba grinned but before he could say anything else, there was a cough from nearby.

'U-um... excuse me, gentlemen?'

The woman before them looked bedraggled and unnerved, her uniform -clearly that of an airhostess- in tatters under a coat three sizes too big for her. Her hair was torn and bedraggled, but she was _alive_ and staring at Mokuba as if she'd never seen a fifteen year old in a business suit before.

Honestly, she probably hadn't.

'Um...' she held up a phone. 'I... there's a phone call here for a Mister Kaiba? Kid in a fancy white suit, right?' She held a cordless phone out towards him. 'He says he's your brother.'

* * *

The first thing Yugi heard clearly when he awoke was Joey. No real surprise there.

'...That it didn't look like water to me, it was more like... I dunno, jello?

'Jello?' Yami's voice was dry and amused. One of those voices, Yugi had always thought, that you could listen to for hours without getting bored of it. He could feel warm light on his face, and the weight of something across his chest. The soft rush of wind and water nearby.

'Yeah, sure,' Joey went on. 'It even wobbled when ya poked it!'

'You're comparing the waters of an ancient supernatural river to _dessert_?'

'Hey, man, it looked like what it looked like! I say it looked like jello. What do you think, Téa?'

'Nuh-uh, you're not pulling me into this,' somebody nearby shifted the blanket over Yugi and he realised he hadn't actually opened his eyes yet. For a few seconds longer, he decided not to. 'I'm not getting into an argument about what the creepy monsters trying to eat the world looked like. Besides, when's the last time you ate dark grey jello with... that _stuff_ in it, Joey? _Yuck_.'

'Well... _Yeah_ but apart from that! And when those things came busting out of it an' grabbed for Yugi? It looked just like they were exploding out of an entire wall of jello.'

Yami sighed. 'Should we ask _how_ you know what someone exploding out of a wall of jello looks like?'

'Well y'see, there was this incident in middle school...'

Yugi kept his eyes shut, but judging from the feeling of Téa's hand squeezing his arm, and the fact that he could hear her snickering, he didn't _quite_ keep himself from smiling.

'Hey, I know what I saw, man,' Joey continued. 'I get your reluctance though, _parting the tides of jello_ sounds way less cool than _parting the tides of the Danube.'_

Yugi opened one eye to meet Téa's gaze. She winked at him and said nothing. There was what looked like a white sheet far over her head. A tent?

'He _didn't_ part the water anyway,' Yami said. 'The Underdanube and the actual Danube merged together. The water was saturated with the energy of the Shadow Realm to the point where the actual water was secondary to... I suppose liquid Darkness.'

'Right. Like liquid dark _jello_ ,' Joey sounded victorious.

'I... alright fine, like _jello_. That was what Yugi parted. Not the _water_. The water just moved because the darkness did and it had to go along for the ride. If he tried to do it _now_ it wouldn't work... Well, I suppose, it wouldn't work _anyway_. It's not like we have access to that kind of Light Magical Energy on a daily basis.'

'And ain't that a shame!' Joey laughed. 'Just think, bein' able to project across the whole world's TV networks... how did Marik _do_ that?'

'And he looks so _embarrassed_ in all the recordings,' another voice chuckled nearby -Mai. 'Wouldn't have thought the guy who threw around so much shade during Battle City was _camera shy_.'

'It was a good story, anyway,' Téa smiled. When Yugi looked back at her, she was still smiling; there was a thin piece of surgical tape across a cut on her forehead, and dirt under her usually immaculate fingernails. 'Hi there. Welcome back.'

Yugi sat up; felt all of his bones spike with pain at once, fell back, then tried to sit up again, _much_ more slowly this time. The pain remained, but... distant. An annoying twinge rather than agonising. Téa was in the room with him, along with Joey, and Tristan. Yami sat on the other side of Yugi's cot, a few stitches in his cheek and a split lip. Mai was sitting on another cot, her arm wrapped from wrist to shoulder in bandages. In spite of that, she offered him the same smile she always did.

'Hey... what time is it?'

'Um... it's about four in the evening,' Téa said. 'We figured you needed the sleep. What with all the dark magic and the visit to the Shadow Realm and the almost drowning, you know?'

'Yeah um... sorry about that.'

Yami raised an eyebrow. 'Hm, well, I think we'd all appreciate it if you could go a few minutes _without_ nearly dying on us in the future.'

'Speak for yourself, Yami.' Tristan snorted. 'I mean, you're the one he was trying to drag _out_ of the water because ya sank like a brick!'

'Yeah man,' Joey added. 'Not to mention you leapt _into_ the river with the rest of us, without even thinkin' to let us know _you can't swim_!'

'There was no river _there_ at the time, I didn't think swimming would be necessary.'

Someone pushed aside the opening to the tent, and Yugi caught a glimpse of the world outside. He saw the plaza with the water fountain, where he and Yami had sat together, and the young girl had sketched. Remembering that made his chest ache. They would probably never know what had happened to her, and her artwork was no doubt ruined by water.

So this meant they were back in town... far away from the river. The man who entered wore a white jacket with Red Cross lapels -the emergency services had made their way to Vienna at last. Or perhaps he had been here all along, judging by how... haunted he looked. The man's face was pale and haggard, and his blonde hair was matted with dirt. Had he been one of the creatures following Yugi around for half the night? Or one of the other people, trapped in the body of a monster?

Whatever the case, he certainly _looked_ human. 'Everyone... um... ok here?' the nurse said, in slightly broken Japanese. There was a shaky smile on his face and he looked relieved when Téa replied to him in fluent English. The rest of them left her to discuss the situation and Yami leaned over to place his forehead against Yugi's, relishing the peace and closeness.

'Thank you gods,' he murmured again.

'Uhuh... You know, you've lost your hair tie.' It was the first thing Yugi could think of to say, and it got him the expected confused looks.

'I lost my hair tie,' Yami agreed.

'Again.'

'Again. '

'Holy crap, man,' Tristan chuckled, 'you saved Vienna, almost drowned, and then raised a _ghost ship_ just for good measure, and you're worried about _his hair_?'

'Well, it's good hair.'

'Well you _would_ say that, wouldn't you? The world is full of hair ties, pal.'

Yugi smiled. 'Yeah but Yami needs like... industrial strength barrettes. Trust me, I know.'

'I'm... pretty sure those don't exist, Partner.'

'Well they should. We spend a fortune on the ones we have.'

Well if you'd rather everyone keep mistaking me for _you_ , in spite of the fact you're ridiculously short in comparison...'

'Hey!'

Yami laughed. In spite of everything it was a wonderful sound.

'What about everyone else? Where's Bakura, and Kaiba?'

'Well, Bakura's around _somewhere_. He said he had to make a phone call. Amazingly _his_ phone is still working,' Tristan leaned back in his probably uncomfortable chair. 'He... really helped you out there, Yugi. But we don't know exactly how.'

'Honestly thought I was a goner for a moment.'

Tristan looked at him askance. 'You _were_. Something he did... Joey and Kaiba kept you going, and Bakura did something to get your heart started again. Like I said: no idea what...'

Yugi stayed quiet for a moment, piecing together the last few hours in his head. Bakura taking his hand... The Monsters... the dying woman, Samantha... The boy in the wreck of the long lost _Asphodel_ that had, presumably, been trapped in the Shadow Realm all this time. They would probably never know exactly how the ship had ended up there.

Yami - who had not moved from his place, forehead pressed against Yugi's, for a while, now looked up to meet Tristan's gaze. 'The same kind of magic that gave us the power to get there in the first place, I suppose. That and a very well timed phone call from Rebecca Hawkins.'

'Rebecca?' Yugi frowned.

'Yes, that's who Bakura said was on the phone,' Tristan explained. 'I guess you don't remember that. She must have been panicking after the signal cut out, so she tried to call you again...'

'Bakura just tapped into the residual light magic still resting in the connection,' Yami said. 'It saved your life.' _And possibly mine_ , he didn't say aloud. The truth was neither Yugi nor Yami had any idea what might happen to the other half of their soul if something like that happened... it wasn't a thing Yugi cared to think about.

Tristan sighed. 'Anyway I guess we all have a few awkward calls to make pretty soon, huh? My sister is gonna _kill_ me, and your grandpa is probably worried sick.'

The Nurse who had been speaking to them vanished through the door and Joey turned back. 'Yo, the authorities have finally shown up after the show is done, an' they wanna talk to us - yeah not you, Yug,' he noticed Yugi trying to get up from the bed. 'You stay there, they want to check up on ya in a little while. You guys need anything while we're gone? I think they've got coffee out there.'

Nobody took him up on the offer. 'What do they want to know?' Yami's eyes narrowed. Yugi couldn't blame him. Even considering everything that had happened, none of them felt they could explain what had happened honestly without being sent for a psych evaluation.

Joey shrugged. 'Dunno, man. I think they're just talking to everyone they can find and, well...'

'We _did_ rise out of the Danube on the back of a shipwreck that's been lost for twenty years,' Mai finished.

'Yeeeah, pretty much. They just wanna know what the hell's going on, I guess. And _some_ people need their own translator,' he threw an arm around Téa's shoulder.

'Oh great, I'm just the _Translator_ now? You wouldn't have a problem if you ever paid attention in English.'

'But we never had to, you always did it for us.'

'Joey!'

'Hey, it's you or a Kaiba, and god only knows where they've gotten to.'

'Hm, you know official Translators get paid by the hour, right?' Téa sighed, but she reached over to give Yugi's hand another squeeze before following Joey, Mai and Tristan out of the tent.

Yami and Yugi were alone again, and for a moment, both of them were content to stay that way in silence. Outside, Yugi could hear the murmur of soft voices, the cry of loud ones, and the occasional whirr of an engine or alarm: all the sounds of a city piecing itself back together.

'Where _is_ Kaiba?' Yugi asked eventually. 'And Mokuba... they're safe, aren't they?' Yami nodded. 'You saw him when I used my... You saw, didn't you?' Yugi blinked. Both of them were remembering the moment they stepped into the Shadow Realm, with Kaiba alongside them. 'The light in his eyes.'

'Yes. And so did he, whether he wishes to admit it or not. He knew the risks in following us,' Yami leaned back, expression tired and frustrated. 'I would have expected nothing else from my cousin's descendant. The heir of the Blue Eyes White Dragon is surrounded by light, Yugi. He always _has_ been.'

It was a strange thing to hear Yami say.

'Has he...' Yugi started, then realised he didn't know exactly _what_ to ask, or how to ask it. His mind was filled with questions like: _Is he okay? Did he_ really _just hop into the Shadow Realm with us? Heck, did he come all the way here to Vienna in the middle of an apocalypse in the first place, or was this all one huge hallucination? What in the name of the God Cards is Seto Kaiba's_ deal _anyway?_ _Do_ you _know, Yami? Because I sure as hell don't!_ But none of those questions seemed right.

'He hasn't said much since we... got you back,' Yami paused on every word. He constructed his sentences the way he constructed a hand in duelling. 'I'm not sure what else you were expecting.'

Yugi sighed. 'I don't know, I just...'

'Hm?'

'I wish we could just... get along. Or something. After everything that's happened. None of the drama, or...or...' he trailed off. 'He has to examine everything, he has to look for _hidden intentions in_ _everything_.'

'Let's be honest, Partner. He wouldn't be Seto Kaiba if he weren't being unnecessarily dramatic at all hours.'

Maybe that was it, Yugi considered. The longer they spent around each other, the more it seemed that Seto Kaiba simply didn't have a means to _function_ around people which didn't involve yelling at them. It had taken him long enough to accept the veracity of the Shadow Realm in the first place... And even then, his first reaction had been to try and _harness_ it. To craft it into something he _understood_ with holograms and technology... and they both knew how well that had worked out.

'So the people of Vienna, they're...'

'Alive? Yes, _many_ are,' Yami smiled. 'Including a lot of people who really shouldn't be. '

'But... not all of them. '

They haven't got around to tallying up yet,' Yami said, his smile faltering. 'But... yes. There are a lot of people dead. Thousands. Europe will take a long time to recover, though I suppose we should be grateful the damage didn't spread much further.'

'All this because of one accident twenty years ago...' Yugi shook his head. 'Because somebody messed around with a _pack of cards_.' It seemed so ridiculous. So blatantly _unfair_ , that a game for children should be used in such a way. That a bunch of characters and designs on paper could have led to so much heartache.

'The child didn't mean to do what he did. All they knew was pain. You know how it feels better than I, Partner. They were trapped in the darkness for so long, and then someone offered them a light.'

One lost soul in exchange for tens of thousands... Still, Yugi couldn't bring himself to believe that one soul hadn't been _worthy_ as any other. They hadn't meant to cause such devastation, anymore than Yami had. Or Kaiba.

He remembered what Yami had said to Kaiba in the shadows: _I regret what may have resulted from it. But I'll_ never _regret being alive._

And if Yami hadn't returned to their world, then that lost soul could still be stuck in the dark.

'There was nothing more we could've done,' Yami said. 'The Shadow Realm had taken too much from them. Many of the people here were probably doomed before we even arrived in Europe.'

'Yeah.' It didn't make Yugi feel any better, but then, it probably wasn't supposed to. What comfort his words failed to offer, Yami made up for with the arms around Yugi's neck; the warmth that travelled through the link.

They had peace for roughly six seconds before the yelling started up outside.

* * *

Even with evening approaching, a warm sunlight still spread over the town square, with no sign whatsoever of the darkness that had earlier blanketed.

It was difficult to enjoy the warmth though, not with the day behind him, and the night ahead. Not with the memory of the shadows crawling through river mud, and the light burning in Bakura's palms.

He dropped a bundle of some supply or another into the arms of another aid worker, who smiled at him warmly and, to Bakura's blessed relief, did not attempt to start a conversation. By this point, most of the survivors were transported to hospitals, or to their homes, but still the square bustled with people.

'Man, can you believe how quickly these guys got here?' Tristan nudged him in the shoulder as he sat down beside him, holding out a paper cup of coffee in Bakura's direction. Bakura took it. The plasticy-paper felt soft and too hot in his fingers. 'I'll bet Kaiba Corp doesn't have such fast emergency service. And you know, the people here get their medical funding for free?'

'Yes, I suspect they're going to need it,' Bakura said, surprised by how hoarse his voice sounded. neither of them had quite recovered from getting their mouths filled with grimy river water. 'A lot of people have died today.'

Bakura felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. 'Sorry, man. It's just... does it sound weird to say I keep _forgetting_? Guess the adrenaline is still going. Can't believe we survived...'

'I know. But many didn't, and they don't get the same relief.' he hadn't intended to sound harsh, but Tristan winced slightly all the same. '

'Yami thinks that a lot of them were probably screwed already, you know,' Tristan said. 'Like... he thinks the Shadow Magic was around for weeks before he even sensed anything. Seems like people who survived were either not magical at all or were sort of... predisposed to the light. Dark magic folks didn't stand a chance.'

'Dark Magic... folks?'

Tristan shrugged. 'Yeah, he says that lots of people a little bit of one or the other. That's why everything went to hell when the Shadow Realm started leaking through. It was calling to those parts of them. And the people with no magic had _no_ defence at all, so...' he crushed his own empty coffee cup in one hand without looking at it. 'Anyway I'm just saying... Urgh, never mind. Sorry, I guess there's really no nice way to say " _hey, they were already dead before we got to them_ ". Even so...'

His heart was in the right place, even if his words weren't quite. 'I suppose we'll never know,' Bakura said. He kept looking at his free hand - fingertips pink from the heat of the cup. Tristan must've seen and guessed at his train of thought. 'None of us blame you, you know that, right?' he said gently.

Bakura smiled faintly. 'Are you referring to the moment last night when I single handily exploded a number of mutated humans fighting for survival, Tristan, or are we going further back than that?'

'The first one. The times you tried to kill us weren't _you_ ,' Tristan said firmly. 'And this one... you basically saved all our lives. Probably Mokuba and Marcus' too. You gave 'em a chance to move the damn plane. And as for that weirdo that grabbed Yugi in the river...' Tristan smiled. 'That was just plain badass, dude. It was like something out of a comic book.'

'Well, my presence _has_ led to you all risking your lives for me more than enough, I suppose I should balance the scales a little.'

'That's what you think this is about?' Tristan was frowning at him. 'Dude... you know it's not like that, right? It's not about debts or anything. Besides, they wouldn't be _your_ debts. You're not the one who tried to destroy us all in a freakin' memory world. You're not the one stealin' our bodies, or trying to murder people with card games. That was... you know. The _other_ you. And can we _please_ call the guy by another name or something? I keep saying this, but it's weird.'

'Whatever the case... it was his involvement today that meant we survived.'

'Yeah about that, Tristan leaned back. 'Explain this to me. What the heck did he actually _do_? Because I know that it involved magic and the shadow realm and... somehow the _internet_?'

Bakura chuckled. 'I suppose... think of it like hi-jacking a computer signal, except instead of a computer, Bakura... Hijacked the Shadows.'

'...Say what?'

'Well the more the Shadow Realm leaked, the more it overpowered the rest of the world,' Bakura shrugged. 'But it was deepest _here_. Like a storm.'

'Yeah, but that was why we couldn't get any phone signals out of Europe, right?' Tristan said. 'So how did we _take_ a phone call?'

'Well, the thing about Shadow Magic is that certain people can use it... People like Yami can force the darkness to do their bidding. So... we needed someone on the outside who could _do_ that in order to manipulate the Shadows in the way we _wanted_. It was already in the internet. He just had to tweak it a little... For a while, the entire world's interconnected network was running on pure dark magic rather than electricity. We could use it to _send_ the very messages it was blocking.'

'Sounds like a computer virus,' Tristan said. 'Like a... Trojan Horse, I think they call it.'

'Essentially that's _exactly_ what it was,' Bakura said. 'Only _bigger_. Yami-Bakura is able to communicate through Shadows since that's basically what he _is_. He sent our message to Marik. Marik sent it to Rebecca and Rebecca... Did some kind of computer wizardry to get the message broadcasted worldwide. _That_ part I don't understand,' he frowned. 'I'm not very good with computers.'

Tristan snorted. 'But talking about Shadow Magic being a conduit for a mobile phone message makes perfect sense to you?'

'We all have our weaknesses, Tristan.' Bakura said lightly.

He wasn't sure what it was, but something in his voice made Tristan laugh. 'Okay, fair enough. But what about the actual message... how'd that work? All I remember is Yugi's phone... basically exploding.'

'The power of Yugi's title,' Bakura said, more quietly. 'The _King of Games_. We knew it had potential, just as Yami's does, so we didn't want to risk using Yugi's _actual_ name. Once Marik's message was heard by the world, all we had to do was... pass on the world's reply. By this point, there was a bit of the Shadow Realm's darkness seeping into everyone's souls. So all those people, saying his title over and over... well. It was a simple message, because you see, it _had_ to be simple. The simpler it was, the more likely it would get though.' He blinked, suddenly sheepish at his excited outburst. 'It sounds silly when you put it like this, but I suppose... That power you saw was Yugi, converting the combined belief of everyone who saw Marik's message into Light Magic.'

'Aaand then everything he touched started shining?'

'And then everything he touched started shining. It was like... A psychic network I suppose. Yugi was able to use the power _they_ gave him. That's all it was, really, Tristan. Just... belief made manifest.'

Tristan frowned. 'Sooo you're trying to tell me we had a bunch of people we never even met doin' the "clap our hands if you believe" thing... and it _worked_?'

'Basically. It wouldn't have been possible if not for the Shadow Realm, though. We used its own power against it - its ability to spread quickly through hearts and minds... as well as phone lines. The voices of those people came through the network as raw energy... And when it got here, Yugi converted it into something _he_ could use. And he did it so easily, without even really having to think about it... It's remarkable, really.'

'Urrgh,' when Bakura looked to his side Tristan had slumped back on the step, hands behind his head. 'I _hate_ magic.'

'You might want to get used to it,' Bakura smiled. 'It _did_ save all our lives.'

'Okay but this... This all does _not_ sound like something scientifically feasible.'

'It wasn't. But then this has nothing to do with science.' Bakura sipped his coffee, mostly to avoid meeting Tristan's gaze. 'This was magic, and I think, Tristan, that Magic, light or dark, can make science do whatever it darn well pleases.'

That was about the moment when Bakura's phone rang. It was playing Beethoven. Very loudly. '...Uhoh.'

'Speak of the devil,' Tristan muttered, after glancing over to see the name on the screen.

Bakura answered his phone.

* * *

'...Other Me?'

'Hm?'

'Is... that the sound of Joey starting an argument with someone who's _probably_ a reporter?'

'More than likely.'

'...Thought so. And is he yelling about _jello_?'

Yami sighed. 'That _has_ been a favoured topic of his for the last hour or so.'

There were a few moments of muted yelling. It wasn't an argument _yet_ -though Joey and Tristan's mock-fights sometimes _looked_ real enough to outsiders- but there was probably one brewing, particularly as Yugi could now hear Kaiba's voice joining in. Information was being spat back and forth in at least three different languages. 'We should check on them.'

'By _we_ you mean _me.'_

'Yep.'

'Do I _have_ to?'

'I... think Kaiba just joined in with an _actual_ opinion on the Jello thing, Other Me.'

Yami sighed. 'Alright, I'll go supervise them. I don't think America will allow Téa re-entry if she get's a criminal record for hitting Joey with something. But I swear, Partner, if Kaiba decides he wants to duel _right_ now...'

Yugi considered saying that was a silly idea, then he realised it probably _wasn't_. After all, Kaiba clearly had a lot of pent up tension right now, and duelling _was_ his primary way of expressing those emotions.

Yami's exit was interrupted by someone entering the tent knocking into him. 'Ah, hey, watch the suit, Yami. The jacket's _already_ wrecked.'

'Oh you don't even _like_ that thing. Hello, Mokuba.'

Yami raised an arm to let the smaller boy through and vanished as and Mokuba stepped inside, smiling. 'Hey Yugi. I'd say "looking good", but uh...' he gave Yugi a strange look. 'Yeah, you _aren't_.'

'...Thanks, Mokuba.'

'No _really_ , you look like you got smacked around by a Feral Imp.'

'I do, huh?'

'Yep. And then sat on. By a Blue Eyes.'

Yugi kept himself from laughing because it would hurt. 'Well you're not exactly looking fresh yourself. You okay?'

'I feel I should be asking _you_ that. Seto _told m_ e about the Elephant. No idea _how_ thatgot here. You know the nearest circus is like, fifty miles away, right _?_ ' Mokuba waited for a moment, and sighed when Yugi didn't bite. 'I'm good. I mean, my bodyguard was dead for a while, but... I guess that's fixed? He's probably not my bodyguard anymore, though. I think he feels he's filled his quota for near death experiences.'

Yugi blinked. 'Wait, he was _dead_?'

'He _was_ , now he _isn't_. It's cool, he's getting promoted. To a job with a higher life expectancy.'

'That's nice but... How exactly is he _not dead_ anymore?'

'Says the guy who resurrected an ancient pharaoh?' Mokuba raised an eyebrow. 'Honestly? I don't know. I think it was because of you, and that crazy _light magic_ thing you did,' Mokuba offered Yugi a smile. _'YuGiOh_ , huh?'

Yugi hid his face in his hands and groaned. _'Not_ my idea.'

There was a shuffle and when Yugi looked up, Mokuba had sat down on the end of the fold out bed. 'The pilots weren't so lucky,' he said. 'Seems it only worked on _some_ people... Likely the ones who were mostly still human when they died. Or maybe it was because those pilots died of impact injuries and not the Shadow Realm. I don't know. Marcus got lucky, I guess. Others, not so much.'

'I'm sorry. '

Mokuba snorted. 'Don't be. None of this was _your_ fault.'

Yugi smiled. 'That's what Yami said.'

'Don't tell Seto I said this, but... Yami's _right_.' Mokuba pulled his feet up under him, sitting cross legged on the end of the bed and gazing at Yugi thoughtfully. 'You do that a _lot_ , you know.'

'Um... Do _what_ , exactly?'

'You know. Acting like the bad things that happen to us are _all your fault?_ And like you're the only one who can fix them?' Mokuba shook his head. 'Seto does it too. He just has... different ways of expressing it.'

Yugi blinked. 'You're telling me Kaiba feels _guilty_?'

'About _this_ incident in particular? No. But almost causing the end of reality by breaking the barrier between dimensions just so he could _duel a dead_ guy?' Mokuba smiled humourlessly. 'Yeah. _That_ wasn't exactly his proudest moment. He makes mistakes, like anyone. I'd expect that to surprise _most_ people, but not you, Yugi.'

...He was right, Yugi realised. It _didn't_ surprise him. Whatever Yugi's friends might think, Kaiba was as emotionally driven as the rest of them. Yugi still remembered the expression on his face as they completed the Millennium Puzzle after the duel with Aigami. The _pain_ in his eyes...

Yugi knew that pain. He'd felt it for _months_ after Yami -Atem- left. But he'd had his friends, and his grandfather, and his mother. He'd had people he could _talk_ to, and who could share his memories. All Seto had, besides Mokuba -who would always be Seto's _responsibility_ \- was a laboratory full of highly paid sycophants, and his pride.

No wonder he hadn't coped well.

'So... What happens now?' Yugi asked, though the question wasn't _really_ directed at anyone in particular. Mokuba still answered.

'You go home, I guess. Seto and I are going to stick around here for a while, see if there's anything we can do to support locals financially with this... mess. That _is_ one of our jets crashed into the side of the airport, for one thing. And we have stocks here for another.'

Yugi smiled. 'Of course. Wouldn't do to leave a mess behind.'

'Yeah well ,whatever my brother can or can't do, he still knows how to run a damn good company.' Mokuba got to his feet. Then paused. 'Look, Yugi, I...'

He trailed off, looking uneasy. Yugi gave him a moment before speaking. 'Yeah, I'm... guessing you _didn't_ just come in here to make quips about who looks the most beaten up,' he said, quietly. 'What is it, Mokuba?'

Mokuba sighed and glanced at the door, as if checking for anyone who might be spying. 'You know my brother. You know... what he's all about, right? So you _also_ know that he didn't come all the way here _just_ because he didn't trust your friends alone on one of our luxury jets.'

Yugi nodded. 'I suppose.'

'And this isn't the _first_ time he's splurged a lot of money on something over the top lately - I mean more than usual!' he snapped a little when he saw the look on Yugi's face.

'Okay, okay,' Yugi forced himself to ignore his protesting ribs and sit up. There was a lance of pain down his spine, and when his vision stopped blurring, Mokuba was next to him, with a hand on his back. Yugi took the peace offering. 'Sorry... keep going.'

Mokuba didn't look at him. 'I... he's been doing... a lot of things that I don't understand lately. The virtual reality work, obviously, but... Seto's been focussing a lot less on the existing programs and is putting a lot of money and assets into different research fields -and I mean a _lot_ of money. There's resources and cash flow and information going to places I don't _know_ about. So I did some digging in our computers and... And there are _scrambled_ email conversations and folders I've never seen before scattered across more than a hundred computers. Not to mention he's been acting... you know. More _restrained_ than usual.'

'You've been busy... What kind of research?' Yugi couldn't really see where he was going with this, but Mokuba was _clearly_ snooping around behind Kaiba's back. That was... concerning.

'Historical mapping projects, physics studies, geological explorations, occult history... Nothing _special_ but... just kind of _unusual_ ,' Mokuba answered. 'They're the sort of projects Kaiba Corp has never funded before, either because it doesn't have anything to _do_ with us, or because their work just isn't on par with ours. I have total access to Kaiba Corp systems, Yugi. There should be nothing on those computers I can't see. So either he's working on a separate Server or... I don't know. Seto's _looking_ for something. I don't know what it is, but I know he's blocking me out, and he _never_ does that...' he sighed. 'Téa told me about what happened in the Shadow Realm.'

'Ah... right.' Yugi swallowed.

'Yeah. Figures _my_ brother would just hop into an alternate dimension without worrying if it'd kill him... _again_ ,' Mokuba's laugh was bitter. 'You know, I remember Seto once said that if he employed the person who designed reality, he'd _fire_ them, because _he_ could do a better job. I think he really believes it. Maybe I do, too.'

'I... wouldn't be surprised,' Yugi said. He couldn't help believing it himself. In truth, hadn't Kaiba already _done_ just that? The Duel Links Virtual System was technology so advanced it _seemed_ like magic. And then there was what he did with the Quantum Cube, and the Crystal Cloud Network... All of those things demonstrated technology far beyond what anyone else was capable of. 'But you know what happens when people _do_ stuff like that, Mokuba.'

'Yeah, they end up hopping into a different dimension and nearly getting themselves killed over _a card game_ ,' Mokuba snorted. 'And then throwing a metric tonne of money into getting the same system that helped them do it _back online_! He vanishes at random times for no reason. Heck I've seen him walk out of meetings like, _three_ times. And then there's the Space Station. It's still _operating_ , Yugi. It's still pumping out Data... And I don't know what any of it's _for_ because I can't _get_ to it. '

Yugi felt an icy sensation crawl up his spine. 'Do... you think he still has the Quantum Cube?'

Mokuba shrugged. 'I don't know, but if he does... It's not like him to keep secrets. Well... Not from _me_ anyway. Something's different since he came back from the Afterlife and since... Everything that happened afterwards.' Both of them shuffled uncomfortably. 'And he's _still_ working with that technology. I'm just... worried. I want to know what's going on. What he's trying to accomplish. Yugi, I don't...'

The words hung unspoken in the air: " _I don't want to lose him again. "_

The pain in Yugi's chest had faded to a dull ache. 'What do you need me to do?'

Mokuba's shoulders slumped. 'That's just it, Yugi, I don't _know,'_ he seemed to be trying not to tear up. 'I've been keeping an eye on him, trying to work out what he's doing. I figured, "hey, how much worse can it be than trying to _break reality?"_...' another humourless laugh. 'But right now, I can't see what it's all leading to. That's what freaks me out most of all; I was always the one who could _read_ him, but now... Look, Téa told me about the... Magic,' he looked at Yugi firmly, as if _daring_ him to laugh. 'In my brother's eyes. Yugi does Seto... _have_ magic? Like yours? Or like Yami's or... Like _anyone_ we know who does that kind of freaky stuff on a regular basis, no offence?'

'None taken, and I... just know what I saw, Mokuba,' Yugi frowned. 'Yami said that the ritual we did basically called upon the magic within _everyone I'd ever touched_. But that magic had to be _there_ for me to be able to _call_ it, right? And the Shadow Realm didn't harm him the way it used to...'

Mokuba didn't say anything to that. Yugi could tell from the look on his face that just bringing up the subject of magic had embarrassed him. Yugi understood. Mokuba had, after all, been raised by Seto Kaiba - a man who had no stake in the supernatural, no matter how much the supernatural wanted a stake in _him_.

'Look I don't know if there's anything I can do to help you, but... But if you want us keep an eye on him, or something... well, we can do that.'

'I just... want you to be ready, okay? You're the only one, Yugi. The only one who my brother even _talks_ to anymore about _anything_ other than business.'

Yugi smiled. 'Well he mostly just talks about duelling.'

'Better than nothing! When he came all the way out here to help you I knew it...' he smiled. 'I _knew_ you were the only one he might listen to. And if you're right and something... _Magic_ is happening, or if my brother's still being affected by the Quantum Cube in some way... Then I need to know about it.'

Yugi stayed silent. He didn't know how to explain to Mokuba about the Memory Arc. About Yami and Kaiba's shared history. He didn't know how to reassure him that things would be okay. If _Mokuba_ wasn't able to understand Kaiba's actions (actions Yugi had known _nothing about_ until now), then Yugi wasn't sure how _he_ could.

He... actually kind of liked Kaiba. As much as that would surprise most people. Kaiba was blunt, and thoughtless, and even cruel. He had no patience for niceness and mocked the very idea of companionship... And yet he also funded countless amusement parks and gave orphaned children free yearly passes. He kept his circle of companions so small you needed a microscope to find it. But there... were moments. Comments in texted challenges... Lines spoken in apocalyptic moments that weren't just insults or warnings.

It was a strange thing to realise, and there was still so much about Kaiba that Yugi didn't understand. He supposed you were never going to ever be on _entirely_ good terms with someone who nearly killed your grandfather. But the Kaiba of _then_... hadn't been _okay_. He'd been sick, in a way he'd never fully recovered from, and Yugi had accepted that. And no matter how much he thought about it, or how much Joey complained, or Yami glared, Yugi was never able to conceive of a world without Seto Kaiba in it. He was never able to convince himself that Kaiba wasn't worthy of forgiveness.

Given that he had followed them here, risking his own life in process, it would seem that Yugi's trust had been well place.

Of course, none of this changed the fact that Kaiba was an _asshole_ , and he would probably _not_ be happy to discover Mokuba was, basically, spying on him.

'Look, I don't know what else I can say or ask for,' Mokuba said. He reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and pressed it into Yugi's hand. 'Just... hang onto this, okay? It's nothing special... it's just in case And if I ever call you about it... _Listen_ to me, okay? What's in there might be important. Or at the very least, useful.'

Yugi opened his fingers, gazing at the small USB drive Mokuba had placed in his palm. It didn't even have a casing and looked like Mokuba had tugged it straight out of a computer. Mokuba was already leaving.

'Mokuba...' Yugi started to say. He didn't meet Yugi's gaze, but he did stop and stand there, one hand clutching the tent canopy so hard his knuckles blanched. '...You know , you can run a pretty damn good company yourself, Mokuba. Your brother is lucky to have you.'

Mokuba hesitated, 'Yeah... I know. Thanks,' he said.

Then he left.

* * *

 _'Well, well, my little landlord. What on_ earth _have you been getting yourself into?'_

Ryou felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, the echo of dark voices whispering in the ear which _wasn't_ pressed to his phone, and sighed. 'Quite a lot. Stop sending dark energy down the phone line, Yami Bakura.'

 _'You weren't complaining before. in fact you asked me to do_ exactly _that... and more,'_ he could feel his other self smirking. _'Do you see now, the power of the dark? You should be grateful that I'm on your side, Little one_.'

'It's Ryou, Yami Bakura, not _Little_ _One_.'

 _'Hmph. You seem quite happy with letting your ridiculous friends call you whatever they like.'_

'Yes, well,' Ryou sighed. 'My friends have never tried to steal my body or force me to murder people. It's a small but, I feel, vitally important difference.'

The laugh on the other end of the phone was like a hyena that had found a fresh corpse. _'Well, that's a matter of perspective, little one! Whatever the case... At least you're not dead. Good.'_

'You expected otherwise?'

 _'Not really. I don't suppose I need to tell you this won't be the last time though, do I? And what happens next?'_ Yami Bakura sounded casual, but there was an underling tone to his voice - a familiar warning steeped in almost-threat.

'We come home, and you leave us in peace for a couple of weeks?' Ryou asked. Tristan was blinking at his boldness in surprise, but what the heck, he'd almost been eaten by living corpses today. So long as Yami Bakura was on the other side of the planet, Ryou didn't think he could top that.

 _'You should be more respectful, Surface. After all, it was a distinct privilege for you that I did as you requested. You know I could very easily have taken all that power and twisted the entire Crystal Cloud network into my own personal dark playground don't you?'_

Ryou blinked. 'No you couldn't. Not without risking _me_ at any rate.'

 _'Oh please, you think I_ don't _have contingency plans for keeping you_ alive _? Admittedly it is a little hard to do when you're on another continent, but I'm sure I could've figured_ something _out, should it have become necessary. You're not exactly difficult to find, little one, shining in the darkness as you do.'_

'If that's true... then did you why help us at all?' Ryou frowned.

 _'Curiosity? Maybe I was interested to see what little Yugi_ did _with all that potential._ ' He chuckled. _'It was certainly something, if it closed a gateway to the Shadow Realm so efficiently. Besides, you had a taste today of what the Shadow Realm can bring about. With just a few tweaks here and there, it can be sued for extraordinary things. Your entire operation, your special bond... little Yugi's no doubt_ phenomenal _display of power... None of that would've been possible if not for_ me _. For_ my _control. And if it weren't for_ you _, Ryou, I would've allowed every one of them to rot in the festering darkness for eternity. Aren't you_ lucky _to be here with them now?'_

'I... don't think I believe you'd do that.'

 _'Oh really, and how many_ times _do I have to almost kill them for it to sink in?'_

'Your track record for that has been... slacking off, lately.' Ryou didn't understand his other self, anymore than he understood the darkness that he controlled. How could he be so dark toned and threatening, after aiding in saving them all from certain doom?

 _'Yes, well, they're a lot more entertaining alive. You always_ did _make such interesting friends. They're usually fun to play with. I could keep them alive, you know,'_ he said, and his voice held that same, twisted gentleness Ryou used to hear in the old days - back when the spirit was nothing more than a little voice in his heart, soft as fur and slimy as an eel. _'When the end finally comes - and it_ will _come, little one- I doubt even the Pharaoh's death could stave off the Shadows... One day, the dam protecting your precious little world will break.'_

'You can't know that.'

 _'I can't? You don't think I_ felt _it, little one? The way the wires twisted with darkness?'_

Ryou looked at Tristan , frowning. 'What do you mean?'

 _'Well, you don't think_ all _the Shadow Magic we just plugged into the worldwide internetwork simply up and vanished the second the power cut out, do you_?' Yami Bakura feigned surprise. _'You know what they say about the internet. It's_ endless _. The Darkness may have pulled back, but that kind of power_ changes _things. There's probably all sorts of malicious little curses racing around the world right now, using the internet as a cover_. _You'd do well to remember what I did today. For when you inevitably have to turn to my mercy.'_

This was turning into one of those conversations where Ryou was not sure whether he was being flirted with, threatened, or both. Tristan was standing beside him, no longer mocking; he was just _glaring_ at the phone.

Ryou took a breath. 'You know, while this is an interesting hypothetical,' he said, slowly. 'Without access to our _idea_ , I don't believe you would've had the foresight to think of combining shadow magic with the internet in the first place. Not to mention,' he glanced at Tristan for strength. 'That shadow magic doesn't exactly carpet the entire globe in an interconnected web of darkness spanning whole continents every weekend, so while I appreciate your... offer, I don't think it'll be needed.'

There was a pause. _'Not yet, perhaps. I wonder what you plan to do in the meantime, hm? What does your precious little_ King of Games _have in mind? More chasing near apocalypses around the globe, maybe? '_

Ryou hesitated. Because when Yami Bakura said the phrase _King of Games_ , Ryou could've sworn he felt his fingertips _crackle._

Ryou took a deep breath. 'Well first of all, Other Me, I'm going to come back to Domino, find wherever you're holed up this week, and then you're going to _apologise_ to my flatmates. In person.'

There was a brief silence on the line. Ryou coughed. 'Um... Bakura, are you still there?'

Yami Bakura snorted. _'Of course I'm still here. What do you think I_ did _to them, exactly?_

'I don't know _exactly_ , but I _do_ know that you probably contacted the flat and scared the daylights out of them. The last time you left, Taeko wanted to call the police and Medea was shivering on the couch with her childhood blanket. God only knows what you did to the refrigerator! We had to replace it! I will _not_ stand for you tormenting my friends just because you're _missing me!'_

Ryou looked up to see Tristan grinning and giving him a thumbs up. That bolstered him.

'And _another thing_ , Other Me. While I am immensely grateful that you were able to use your usually destructive powers for something more practical, I'd appreciate if you _not_ get into the habit of it. It isn't like you had a _choice_ but to help us, given what _not_ doing so would've potentially done to my soul - and thus _yours_. Your help was appreciated. And now it's done. We'll worry about the other apocalypses when they get here.'

 _'...That's your final word on it, then?'_

'Oh go to hell, Other Me.' Ryou snapped.

Then he hung up.

And turned off his phone.

And stuffed it into the darkness of his backpack while Tristan broke into hysterics. Only now did Ryou realise his breathing had gone shaky. The air seemed lighter. The weight on his shoulders had lifted and been replaced with a rush of pure adrenaline.

'Wow.'

'Oh my...'

'Ryou, _man-'_

'I think I'm going to start hyperventilating...'

'Dude. That. Was. _Awesome_.' Tristan looked as impressed as he did watching Yugi duel. Which, Ryou thought, was perhaps hamming it up a little, but it _was_ a nice gesture, all the same.

He took a deep breath but it didn't do much to slow his pulse. He had just told the Spirit of the Millennium Ring, the force which had tormented him with everything from mind control to Shadow Games for years... to _go to hell_. 'T-that... may have been an ironic comeback.'

'I know! I wish I could've seen his face!'

'Tristan-'

'Or recorded it, MAN I need to start bringing a camera _everywhere_ -' Tristan's laughter died away when he looked at Ryou properly. Ryou had curled into himself on the step, staring at the water fountain. 'Hey... you know we're not gonna let him _do_ anything right?' Tristan's voice was softer. 'And I mean, you're basically... what... sharing some kind of weird soul link with him? There's nothing he _could_ do to you.'

'It's not _me_ I'm worried about,' Ryou muttered. This was mostly true. He couldn't deny that he was afraid for himself - fear seemed to be a constant when your soul was bound to one like Yami Bakura. But it was his friends who preoccupied most of his concern.

What if what Yami Bakura hinted at was true? What if the Shadow Realm's return, at some point in the future, was an inevitability, that even the Pharaoh's final sacrifice couldn't have staved off forever? And what if what they did today, however necessary it had been, only served to speed that process along? What if dark cracks had seeped into other places, around the world? Places they might not know about or might not be able to reach in time. What if-

Tristan tugged at Ryou's arm to pull him to his feet. 'Okay, that's enough internal freaking out for now, come on.'

'Ah... okay. Where are we going?'

'Coffee, man.'

Ryou glanced at the cups they had abandoned on the step. 'But... we already have coffee.'

'Yeah but that stuffs like _water_ , you deserve the good java after that comeback.'

'I... doubt we'll find a cafe open, Tristan.'

'Trust me, this is Europe, SOMEWHERE around here, there's gonna be a teashop, it's gonna be open, and it'll sell some really good coffee. Or tea? Probably tea... They like that stuff in Europe. Heck, you'd know better than me, right? You lived here!'

'Yes, well, tea is... more of a British thing and it's not really _like_ the Japanese version.'

'Close enough! You can teach me!' Tristan's arm was around Ryou's shoulder, tight and reassuring, as he pulled him away from the chaotic town square. Ryou couldn't find it in himself to protest. 'Let's go, it's on me.'


	25. Epilogue - Thank You

**Epilogue.**

* * *

 _ **Ring ring.**_

 _ **Ring ring.**_

 _ **Ring ring.**_

 _'Hello! You've reached the Kame Game Store. We're currently closed. Opening Hours are nine am to six pm every day except Sunday: then we only open in the morning and only if my grandsons remember they're_ supposed to be awake before noon _. Achem..._

 _We're not here. Leave a message if you need anything_.'

 _ **Beep**_.

'...Yugi, is that the _actual_ Store message?'

'You've never heard it?'

'No! We aren't _that_ bad are we? We _absolutely_ get there before noon... Most days.'

'Suuure. By about a _half_ hour... Also, half the time we're not _in_ Domino, so um, we probably need to work on it?'

'Hm... shouldn't we say something?'

'Oh! Right... Hi Grandpa! We're all okay, we just arrived at Domino-'

 _ **Beeeeep.**_

'-Airport... Damn.'

'...Why do they always record for such a _short time_?'

'I have no idea. Um... got anymore change, Other Me?'

'No, but that was already _ridiculous_. Five hundred yen for _one_ _call_?'

'We should probably invest in a new phone... Pretty sure Light Magic has wrecked mine beyond repair this time.'

'Well, it likely doesn't matter. You know he's probably already _at_ the airport waiting for us? In fact, our friends probably already found him while we stopped to make _this_ call.'

'Yeah... Yeah they probably did. We'll be home soon, anyway.'

'Hm... Are you alright?'

'Well asides from the aching ribs and the giant headache...'

'Not exactly what I meant, Yugi.'

'Yeah... I know. But there's nothing must to be said about the rest of it. Also, if you get me started worrying about Kaiba and Mokuba I'll... probably explode before we get back to the Shop.'

'Heh. Look around, partner. what do you see?'

'A bunch of people who all seem really annoyed at the world? Probably because half their planes were cancelled?'

'Mhm, what else?'

'Well, um... there are kids asleep on chairs...'

'Right. And?'

'Aaaaand a lot of coffee cups lying everywhere?'

'Very observant.'

'Don't be sarcastic, Other Me... Um... well a few people are staring at us. They're probably wondering how we managed to get off a _plane_ when they've been stuck here for a couple of days... Wow. The world nearly ended today didn't it? We were _right_ there, we saw it.'

'More than just saw it. You _ended it_. You saved every one of the people looking at you right now, and everyone they love besides. Half the people in this airport were speaking your name like a prayer. Perhaps they'd have more respect if they knew.'

'It went _both_ ways, Other Me. It's just... it's all so _normal_ now. I doubt it looks this way in Europe but... a few hours ago, according to Serenity, this airport was in total _chaos_ , and now... how can people be so calm?'

'Heh. One thing I've learned about human beings in _both_ lifetimes, Yugi... We have an extraordinary ability to recover from the unthinkable. Whatever happens, whatever's beginning...'

'...We'll finish it. Right. That's the point you were trying to make right? We... we should catch up with the others, they'll be wondering where we got to.'

'Yugi...'

'Yeah?'

'I was telling the truth, you know. In the Shadow Realm. You know that, of course, but... I wanted to say it again, for you alone. Whatever happens next, however selfish this might sound, I wouldn't change where we are. I don't regret... coming back.'

'I know. I wouldn't change it either, Yami. And heck, where we are _now_ could be the only reason there's still a world _left_ for those passengers to be angry at. I just wish...'

'...'

'You know what? I wish we had burgers.'

'What?'

'Well, we haven't eaten a proper meal in like, a week. I want _burgers_. Other me, when's the last time we had _real_ food?'

'In what universe do those things _count_ as food?'

'In the universe where- grandpa!'

'...Where grandpa what?'

'No, Yami, over there! Joey found him.'

'Aha! See, I told you he'd meet us. Um...'

'What?'

'...Well, how many missed Sunday shifts do you think I have to make up for now?'

'Heh, we saved the world, Other Me. Again. I think grandpa will let you off _just_ this once.'

'Hm, yes this _once_ , but what about the hundred other times before this?'

* * *

 _ **Beep beep be-click.**_

 _'Joey?! Joey is that you? Tell me it's you!'_

'Heya Ren! Yeah, it's me, you alright? Sorry Yugi had first dibs on the airport phone, all the others were broken and... Um... Serenity? You there?'

' _..._ '

'Hey... hey, sis, I... aw, _jeeze_ are you _crying_?'

 _'N-no...'_

'You totally are, I can hear the sniffles, jeeze, sis, I'm sorry _,_ it's fine, okay?I'm fine, we're all fine, really!'

 _'Y-you're sure? I-it's still such a mess on the news a-and when we left Kaiba Corp I couldn't contact you and Joey, you all scared me half to death! Are you sure everyone's okay?!'_

'Positive! Well... I mean, a few of us have concussion but the KC Docs checked us out, an' everything's _mostly_ fine.'

 _'Mostly? Wait, Kaiba Corp? Um... do... do they know what... exactly has been happening over the last few days?'_

'Beats me, but even if they do, they'll probably brush it all under the carpet soon as they can, right? Where are ya? I'll come meet you.'

 _'Oh I'm at the Black Crown right now, s-so...'_

'You're at... Duke's.'

 _'Yes, he's been so nice, especially after Yami Bakura just up and left us all goodness knows where on the outskirts of town and-'_

'W-wait, Yami Bakura? The hell is he... O-okay. Okay, so that's what they were up to...'

 _ **'Wait what the hell man, did I hear that right?'**_

 _'Shut UP, Tris, I'm on the phone.'_

 _ **'But**_ **where** _ **did she say she was?!'**_

'Tristan, I swear to god-!'

 _'Ah... Joey?'_

'Sorry, sis, Tristan is bein' a dumbass, as usual.'

 _'Heh... w-well he's alright then. I... we have to talk, Joey. About... everything.'_

'Yeah...I... look , Ren, Yugi's calling us over, I'll see you in like, fifteen minutes, ok?'

 _'Okay... I love you, Joey.'_

'I... yeah. Yeah I love you too, sis.'

* * *

 _ **Ring Ring Ring Ring.**_

 _ **Click.**_

'Kaiba.'

 _'Good afternoon, Kaiba Boy, and how are you this fine post-apocalyptic day?'_

'...'

 _'I assume you had a safe flight home.'_

'How did you get this number?'

 _'Well, you do have a website with an up to date contact section, you know.'_

'My _personal phone details_ aren't on that _website,_ Pegasus _.'_

 _'Well, things tend to happen when corporate information gets exchanged on a massive worldwide scale with a dose of magic thrown in to the mix. Information tends to slip through the cracks. Also, can I just say how surprised I am that you allowed such a massive breach of information and company secrets all in the name of helping little ol' Yugi in the first place?'_

'Hmph.'

 _'You know, my colleagues are thinking of giving our little collaborative project an appropriate name for the newspapers -and for our company records of course- How does the term The Three Way Union of Card Hearts sound?'_

'...Like a bad romance novel.'

 _'Aha! But my social market team_ are _all romantics at heart! But then, it_ is _really quite heart-warming. You_ have _come a long way.'_

'...Pegasus, have you actually gone crazy or is there a point to all this?'

 _'Now now, Kaiba, you may well scoff, but we all know the truth of this matter. It's so nice to see you making actual_ friends _-'_

'Okay you can cut the pretend concerned citizen act, it's was either help Yugi with some ridiculous... _magical_ strategy, or watch my empire, not to mention the whole planet, collapse into a pile of shadow realm infused apocalyptic nightmare fuel. Don't get any ideas.'

 _' Yes that was all a surprise as well.'_

'What?'

 _'Well, I mean I'm just surprised that you're_ admitting _it actually was a world ending scenario. Why you've had the apocalypse standing on your porch right in front of you and slammed the door in its face. But now? Now you're following a bunch of crazy children into the Shadow Realm of all things. What on earth happened to create such a change in you?'_

'You're acting like I'm some delusional child naive as to what's going on in the world.'

' _You said it, Kaiba Boy, not me._ '

'I call as I find, Pegasus. But I don't owe you any kind of explanation. Now was there a _point_ to you bothering me , or...?'

 _'Well, as pleasant as it would be, I didn't call you just to chit chat. It's about the link up, actually.'_

'What about it?' Also if you're holding _any_ of Kaiba Corps major secrets in your greasy little hands Pegasus, I'll-'

 _'Oh do calm down, Kaiba boy, you're far too young to give yourself a blood clot. I am getting to the point.'_

'Get there _faster_ , I'm busy.'

 _'Well you see, I've been thinking a lot since the incident in Europe... my team has been studying the event extensively for the last several days, and my technicians and I have come to the conclusion that what happened was impossible.'_

'... Impossible?'

 _'Well, I can't deny that what happened was all rather unprecedented. That young girl behind it... Hawkins, isn't it? She's quite the technological genius -worth keeping an eye on, by the way- if she was able to create a controlled online server connection between the companies of Kaiba Corporation, Industrial Illusions, and Schrödinger Crop - not to mention she was able to hack an international cable company from New York and create a worldwide online broadcast via some as of yet unidentified video steaming platform that no longer appears to exist... all so little Marik Ishtar could_ tell us a story _about a long lost king...'_

'...'

 _'And then comes Yugi and his friends. That's where things start to get_ really _unbelievable.'_

'...'

 _' I remember how it felt, you know, Kaiba. When I, like so many others, saw that broadcast. I believe everyone in the world knew of it, to some extent... the pull of the Shadow Realm on our souls. That darkness deep within every heart. You and I both know how... uncomfortable that feels, and I certainly don't need a Millennium Eye anymore to remember it.'_

'Hm.'

 _'At any rate, somehow Marik Ishtar's little story reached into the hearts of every human being who saw that broadcast. Somehow it affected us all on a level that allowed us to reach back. To reach into the Shadow Realm... to send a part of ourselves to Austria. To Yugi. To the source of all this darkness. To the one person who might have the capability to close the door to darkness. The souls of every human being in the world, untied by a single word. A single name.'_

 _'...I'm sure you can agree, my dear Kaiba... there's nothing scientific about that.'_

 _'_...'

 _'I see I have your interest based on the fact you haven't hung up on me. So Kaiba... what do_ you _think happened that day?'_

'...Yami would call it magic.'

 _'And what would you call it?'_

'...I can't disagree with him. "Any sufficiently advanced tech is indistinguishable from magic.'''

 _'Indeed! I do like a bit of Arthur C Clarke myself. But also, Kaiba... perhaps we have it backwards. Do you think... science_ or _magic_ _can accomplish what was done in Austria that day alone? I don't believe so. I think the only reason any of that worked is because it operated via a technology greater than anything any human has yet accomplished: the power of the human soul itself. And if we could do that_ again _...'_

'...You can't be suggesting what I think you are, Pegasus. Are you **insane**? Wait, that's a pointless question, I _know_ you're insane. Using Shadow Magic? Deliberately? In your technology?'

 _'Why not? It's already happened. You and I are cut from more similar cloth than you would care to believe, Seto. We both know that magic and science are not so different. They might even be one and the same. And the people who can use that knowledge to their advantage... well... What might we accomplish with it, I wonder?'_

'...The point, Pegasus. Now.'

 _You've done it already, haven't you? Combined technology and magic... united them as nobody has before. Though you try to hide it as technology alone, we both know better.'_

'...The Crystal Cloud Network.'

' _Precisely_. You _may not even have been aware of it, but the technology you developed has tapped into realms or power far beyond ones and zeroes... Much as my paintings tap into far more than just brushstrokes and creativity. Your technology is the reason the Pharaoh himself was able to return to this world - or a form of him, at least. You have that capacity... And I... well, I'm as deeply connected to the worlds of magic as you are, Kaiba.'_

'This is nonsense. Unless you have something more sensible to discuss...'

 _'Ah, you object, but trust me, Kaiba Boy... I know you. Perhaps better than you know yourself. I've seen inside your heart and mind, as you have into mine. We are both driven by an endless insatiable curiosity. And I_ know _. you're curious about the potential of this new science, if nothing else.'_

'...'

 _'I would like to leave a doorway open for you, at any rate. Know that representatives of Kaiba Corporation may visit us here in I2 whenever they wish... and that we are_ more _than happy to share our unique skills with you. Together we might find a way to combine your astonishing technological achievements with our own... talents.'_

'First, you're suggesting that we literally _use shadow realm magic_ in _my_ technology and peddle it to customers. That alone is madness. Second, even if it _weren't_ madness, the last time I tried to enter into any kind of bargain with you it resulted in the theft of _mine and my brothers souls_ because you didn't know how to play fair. We may have worked together this once, Pegasus, but like _hell_ am I going to trust you with my company ever again.'

 _'Ah, but we were young and foolish back then, Dear Kaiba... and now, we adults have far more mature ways of dealing with our differences, do we not?_ _The door remains open. And my offer remains. Should you wish to explore this new avenue of science with me... I would be more than happy to accommodate you. Goodbye for now.'_

 _'Pegasus I-'_

Click.

Beep.

'...God damn it...'

* * *

 _ **The End.**_


End file.
